Tesla set to eliminate steering wheel nag in upcoming full self-driving update

Key Points:

• Tesla CEO Elon Musk announces imminent release of FSD 12.4 update, featuring fully retrained models.
• Removal of steering wheel nag, a persistent alert prompting driver torque application, is anticipated in the update.
• Tesla’s reliance on cabin-facing cameras for driver attention monitoring renders steering wheel nag redundant, signaling a shift in safety measures.

In a forthcoming move set to reshape the landscape of autonomous driving, Tesla is gearing up to unleash the much-anticipated FSD 12.4 update, slated for release as early as next week. The update, teased by none other than Tesla’s enigmatic CEO Elon Musk, promises more than a mere increment in version number; it boasts fully retrained models, hinting at a substantial leap in functionality.

One of the headline features of this imminent update is the removal of the notorious steering wheel nag, an incessant reminder prompting drivers to apply torque to the wheel at regular intervals during Full Self-driving operations. Musk himself confirmed this development, shedding light on Tesla’s reliance on its cabin-facing camera to gauge driver attention. This sophisticated monitoring system renders the traditional steering wheel nag obsolete, as it can detect driver distraction within mere seconds.

While the removal of the nag may alleviate a source of annoyance for Tesla drivers, questions linger regarding its potential impact on road safety. Regulatory bodies, such as the US NHTSA, may scrutinize Tesla’s move, especially considering their previous insistence on heightened driver attention warnings. Nevertheless, as Tesla pushes the boundaries of autonomous driving technology, the world eagerly awaits the outcomes of this bold maneuver.