Elon Musk’s politics hurt Tesla’s millions of dollars in U.S. car sales: Yale study
Since acquiring Twitter (now X) in 2022, Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s political presence has caused Tesla’s U.S. car sales to drop by more than 1 million vehicles, according to a Yale University study.
Elon Musk said Tesla owners may soon be able to text and drive while using their cars’ self-driving features. However, this practice is prohibited in almost all states.
Tesla’s CEO made the remarks during a speech at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday, November 6th.
Musk said of Tesla’s Version 14 self-driving update released last month. “We’ve actually gotten to the point where we almost feel comfortable texting people and driving them…because that’s what people really want to do and that’s what they’re[already]doing.”
Musk said customers will be able to text and drive within a month or two. He did not explain how Tesla circumvents traffic laws. He said Tesla officials will first review safety statistics before making a decision.
“Basically, it allows you to text and drive,” Musk said, to the delight of shareholders, who applauded the announcement.
Tesla’s driver monitoring system recognizes when drivers are texting and issues a warning. Currently, drivers turn off self-driving features to send text messages and then turn them back on, Musk argued, adding that doing so is less safe.
Is texting allowed while driving?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, texting while driving is illegal in 49 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands.
Montana does not ban texting and driving, and Missouri imposes texting while driving rules only for people under 21 and commercial drivers.
It’s not clear how mass production of self-driving cars might change highway laws. Tesla owners are now required to pay attention to the road even when their cars are in self-driving mode. In one case, a Tesla driver was fined for falling asleep while driving on autopilot.
Last month, a man was arrested and charged after his Tesla crashed into a police car while in self-driving mode in Illinois, local media reported. In 2021, authorities in Wisconsin ticketed a man who fell asleep at the wheel of a self-driving Tesla at 130 mph, national media reported. The involved deputy attempted a traffic stop, but the man remained asleep for two miles. When the deputy pulled up next to the car, the man woke up.
What are the penalties for texting and driving?
According to DriversEd.com’s state-by-state guide, current penalties for texting and driving include fines, demerit points on your driving record, and possible jail time depending on the jurisdiction.
What would it take for a Tesla to let its drivers text and drive?
Tesla needs regulatory approval to allow drivers to text and drive. Currently, Mercedes-Benz is the only U.S. car company that can sell self-driving cars that don’t require drivers to keep their eyes on the road. Still, these particular cars are only available for purchase in California and Nevada.
Legislation is underway to address the use of autonomous vehicles. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures database, lawmakers in 25 states have introduced 67 bills related to autonomous vehicles.
What are the benefits of self-driving cars?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the biggest benefit of autonomous driving is safety.
“Highly automated systems, called self-driving systems, remove human drivers from the chain of events that could lead to an accident,” the agency’s website states. “Although these systems are not currently available to consumers, the benefits of this developing technology could be far-reaching.”
The agency notes that significant investments are being made in the testing, development and validation of autonomous driving systems that will help bring future technologies to market.
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Please contact mdelrey@usatoday.com.
