NHTSA Complaint #10809384 — 2014 TESLA MODEL S

HAZARDOUS FEATURE -- DO NOT USE -- NOTIFY TESLA IMMEDIATELY -- INCIDENT 1) I TESTED THE RECENTLY DOWNLOADED "AUTOPILOT" FEATURE ON A FREEWAY WITH SOLID LINES AT BOTH EDGES AND A DASHED LINE BETWEEN THE TWO LANES. SPEED WAS 70MPH, WIND LIGHT, VISIBILITY GOOD IN DAYLIGHT, TRAVELING IN THE RIGHT LANE. WHEN THE VEHICLE ENCOUNTERED AN OFF-RAMP (ON THE RIGHT) WHERE THE RIGHT EDGE WHITE LINE FOLLOWED THE RAMP'S RIGHT EDGE, ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE. THE CAR TRIED TO FOLLOW THE LINE FOR THE RAMP. I BRAKED AND STEERED LEFT, WINDING UP IN THE TRIANGULAR NO-MANS-LAND DEFINED BY THE RIGHT LANE OF THE FREEWAY, THE RAMP, AND THE VARIOUS BARRIERS AND LANDSCAPING AT THE TOP OF THE TRIANGLE. I ACCELERATED OUT OF THE TRIANGLE, WONDERING WHY THIS FEATURE WAS RELEASED BY TESLA. INCIDENT 2) A FEW MILES LATER, NOT HAVING LEARNED ANYTHING I GUESS, I REACTIVATED "AUTOPILOT." ANOTHER FEW MILES LATER A SMALL BIRD FLEW IN FRONT OF THE CAR. HELL BROKE LOOSE AGAIN AS THE CAR BRAKED AND SWERVED OUT OF THE SLOW LANE INTO THE FAST LANE. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC NEARBY. I RECOVERED MY TRACK AND DEACTIVATED THE "AUTOPILOT." THIS FEATURE IS JUST KIDS' STUFF, NOT READY FOR THE REAL WORLD. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) INSTRUCT TESLA TO DELETE THIS FEATURE FROM THEIR CARS IMMEDIATELY; LIVES COULD BE SAVED IF THEY DO SO. 2) OTHER MANUFACTURER'S CARS WITH AN "AUTOPILOT" KIND OF FEATURE MUST BE TESTED FOR HAZARDOUS BEHAVIORS. GOOD LUCK. THIS STUFF IS DANGEROUS. I WILL ALSO BE NOTIFYING TESLA OF THESE INCIDENTS.