(qlmbusinessnews.com . Mon 29th Dec, 2025) London, UK —
Elon Musk Defends Texting While Using Tesla's Self-Driving Tech: Safety Debate Ignites
As the horizon for autonomous vehicles draws nearer, Tesla is eager to maintain its lead in the market. However, concerns arise whether the quest to stay ahead is compromising safety.
Geoff Perlman, a 61-year-old tech executive from Texas, has been exploring Tesla's newest self-driving software around Austin, finding it adept at managing intricate lane changes and parking in congested areas—surpassing human abilities in his view. He's contemplating recommending the system, which carries an additional £5,950 price tag, to his elderly father-in-law for convenience as old age encroaches.
Yet, Perlman exercises caution, keeping his eyes glued to the road and refraining from texting. “To text while manoeuvring a heavy vehicle at speed seems reckless to me,” he admits.
Tesla's Elon Musk appears less concerned. Last month, he assured investors of closely monitoring safety statistics while permitting drivers to text under certain conditions. Musk's stance, reiterated on X in response to a query about texting capabilities with the latest software, has sparked renewed criticism from safety watchdogs. They challenge Musk's readiness to overlook safety for technological advancement, especially as competitors like Google's Waymo heighten the stakes with their own self-driving initiatives.
Michael Brooks of the Center for Auto Safety highlights this as a glaring instance of Tesla's underestimation of their technology's real-world implications, effectively endorsing illegal behaviour among drivers.
Tesla's suite of automated features spans from Autopilot's basic functionalities to the more sophisticated Full Self Driving (FSD), launched in 2020. Despite the requirement for ongoing driver supervision, Tesla’s encouragement of texting while driving contravenes laws in the US, the UK, and beyond.
Musk defends the practice, suggesting that texting with Tesla's tech is safer due to purportedly lower collision rates—claims that experts are keen to scrutinize for reliability and lack of independent review.
In the US, regulators are probing Tesla’s software after incidents of erratic behaviour, including random braking and non-compliance with traffic rules. Similar scrutiny has been applied to competitors, indicating a broader industry challenge.
Critics argue Musk's claims about Tesla's capabilities may mislead customers into a false sense of security, risking dangerous driving habits. Youssef Kamal from New Jersey, despite occasionally succumbing to texting behind the wheel, voices faith in the system's overall reliability.
The debate extends to regulatory measures on driver attentiveness and Tesla's compliance. Recent legal challenges and a directive from a California judge to reassess the naming of Autopilot signify mounting pressure on the company to address safety concerns more transparently.
As Tesla trials its robotaxis in Texas and contemplates expansion into new markets, including the UK, the firm faces the task of convincing regulators and the public of its technologies' safety. Tesla’s journey, shadowed by competition and regulatory hurdles, underscores the high-stakes nature of leading the autonomous driving race, with safety, reliability, and compliance at the heart of the debate.
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