Austin Fire Chief McElearney warns Tesla Cybercab touchscreen risks rescues
The Austin Fire Department is raising red flags about Tesla's new Cybercab, which just launched in the city.
The car skips the steering wheel and relies only on a touchscreen for control, something Fire Chief Matthew McElearney says could make things tricky for first responders during emergencies.
McElearney urges federal manual AV controls
McElearney points out that touchscreens depend on power and fine motor skills, which can fail in situations like power outages or when firefighters are wearing gloves.
He said, "What I would not want is for somebody to put their fingertips on it and try to slowly roll it, and then it zigs when it's supposed to zag."
He is also calling for federal rules to require basic manual controls in all autonomous vehicles, not just Tesla's, so safety is not left behind as tech moves forward.