Safety score: Tesla's safety system Consumer Reports accuses of encouraging dangerous driving

Tesla's new safety rating system is designed to allow owners to access the latest version of the company's Fully Autonomous Driving (FSD) software. However, Consumer Reports assures that this encourages owners to drive dangerously.

Tesla is back in the crosshairs for a new one Safety rating system. Consumer Reports is concerned that many Tesla drivers simply cannot help but abuse Tesla features, no matter how useful or silly they may be. Hours after the introduction of the Tesla safety rating system, messages from owners appeared on Twitter claiming that their driving had become worse because of the new system. 

What is the Tesla Safety Score? 

The Tesla Security Rating System is designed to provide Tesla owners with access to the latest version of Tesla software. The company basically "gamifies" safe driving to encourage drivers to stop rather than abuse the deceptive "autonomous" driving mode. 

This system allows the car to monitor the driver's habits and judge the driver's ability to be responsible and attentive.. One of the main things users and Consumer Reports are saying is that the big hurdle is braking. Even too abrupt a stop at a red light or a stop sign cannot negatively affect the driver's assessment. 

Why does Tesla's safety rating make people drive worse? 

Kelly Fankhauser, director of automated and connected vehicle testing at Consumer Reports, said while "gamification" of safe driving can be a good thing, it can have the opposite effect. 

When Consumer Reports tested the Tesla Model Y with this new program, normal stop sign braking exceeded the limits for the system. When CR put the Model Y into "fully autonomous driving" mode, the Model Y also braked too hard for a stop sign. 

Be careful out there, kids. A new dangerous game is being played on the streets of our city. It's called: "Try to get the highest Tesla Safety Score without killing anyone." Don't forget to post your highest scores...

— passebeano (@passthebeano)

It is assumed that since any sudden braking results in a reduction in Tesla's safety score, drivers can be encouraged to cheat by using stop signs, running red lights and turning too fast to avoid sudden braking of any kind.

Besides braking, what is the program looking for? 

According to Consumer Reports, Tesla's safety scoring system takes into account five driving metrics; hard braking, how often the driver turns aggressively, how many times the forward collision warning is activated, whether the driver closes the rear door and how often the autopilot, Tesla software that can control some of the steering, braking and acceleration functions, is disabled due to the fact that driver ignored warnings to keep hands on steering wheel.

While these are all important aspects of driving to look out for, Consumer Reports is concerned that they may over-gamify driving, which will ultimately make Tesla drivers more dangerous. 

For some reason, Tesla has yet to announce what a good enough driving result is. Tesla's website simply states that "they are combined to estimate the likelihood that your driving could lead to a future collision." It is also not clear if drivers who complete the course may have their FSD privileges revoked later in the future if they are deemed unsafe by the system. But according to CR, Tesla has said it can withdraw FSD at any time for any reason. 

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