Tesla's new autopilot could lead to unsafe situations

Washington

WHEN Tesla owners activate their car's new autopilot feature, a warning appears in a small box at the bottom of the dashboard: Always keep your hands on the wheel. Be prepared to take over at any time.

Most of Tesla's vehicles will be updated with the autopilot option this week, offering one of the best examples of the rapid progress in car technology. But the nature of Tesla's system, which will at times call on drivers to retake control of their vehicle immediately, could lead to unsafe situations as checked-out drivers are not ready to safely take the wheel, warn researchers and driving safety experts.

"If, because of the automation, inattention goes up substantially, then the number of crashes could well go up," cautioned Alain Kornhauser, who chairs Princeton University's autonomous vehicle engineering programme. "If the amount of inattention remains the same, then many fewer Teslas will crash due to that amount of …