The police has announced it has banned motorists from using Tesla’s Autopilot function to drive hands-free in Malaysia, following a series of viral TikTok videos in which a Singaporean couple drove to Penang in a Model 3 using the semi-autonomous driving system. User SGpikarchu demonstrated the functionality by driving certain sections hands-free, leading to the force’s consternation.
According to Guang Ming Daily, Bukit Aman Traffic Investigations and Enforcement chief assistant director Superintendent Dr Bakri Zainal Abidin said the use of automated driving functions can lead to drivers being inattentive and insensitive to road conditions, referring to a research report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
“From the PDRM’s perspective, Malaysia currently has no rules or laws against automated driving systems, but these systems do not help drivers keep their full attention on driving – the system can’t even be sure if there is a driver sitting in the vehicle.
“This will probably cause the driver to pay less attention to the traffic around them, instead spending their time on other distracting things, such as using a mobile phone while driving,” said Bakri, adding that even the United States prohibits the use of autonomous vehicles, despite carmakers and tech companies testing such vehicles in the country (having obtained the necessary permits, of course).
Bakri reminded motorists that the Road Traffic Rules 1959 stipulates good attitude, caution and concentration while driving. He said that even if all vehicles in the future are equipped with automated driving functions, drivers should always pay attention and be aware of road conditions, in order to be able to take over in time and prevent an accident should these systems fail.
“When driving, the focus must be on the road, as traffic flow and road user attitudes mean that a human operator is still required to operate and drive the vehicle,” Bakri added. In some accident hotspot areas, he said – especially among others drivers in rural areas – drivers still need to assess the situation manually.
He also talked about an accident in California in 2019, in which the driver of a Tesla used Autopilot, ran a red light and slammed into another car, killing two people; the driver was charged with two counts of manslaughter in January, The Guardian reported. Bakri said the crash showed the dangers using autonomous driving technologies can pose on other road users based on traffic and road conditions.
On the subject of the Singaporean couple, Bakri said their actions were prohibited in Malaysia and the police will invoke the Land Transport Act 1987 to launch an investigation. He also mentioned that while Tesla has fitted the car with “Full Self-Driving Hardware,” Autopilot currently still requires driver supervision and is not a “full self-driving” system in its own right.
“The Autopilot feature in Tesla vehicles is helpful to drivers, but it doesn’t mean that drivers can completely take their hands off the steering wheel and mistakenly think that the system can automatically and safely control the car,” Bakri said.
To their credit, the TikTok user said the couple had driven most of the way using Autopilot with their hands on their steering wheel, only taking them off to show users how the system worked. However, Tesla’s own literature for the system states the driver must have their hands on the steering wheel at all times.
There are no vehicles currently sold in Malaysia or Singapore that allow hands-free driving. There are certain cars that have extended Level 2 semi-autonomous driving capability in countries like the United States and Japan, enabling limited hands-free driving. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class in Germany and the Honda Legend Hybrid EX in Japan are also capable of Level 3 autonomy, but those are very rare exceptions that are tightly regulated and only allowed to function under very specific circumstances.
Vehicles with “regular” Level 2 automated driving features have failsafe measures in place to prevent drivers from abusing the system, such as warning the driver and disabling the system altogether if they detect extended amounts of hands-free driving.
It’s very easy to game the system, however, as evidenced by Consumer Reports managing to trick a Tesla Model Y into driving on a test track without a driver in the seat. It doesn’t help that Tesla itself uses the confusing “Full Self-Driving Capability” moniker on cars that aren’t actually capable of full self-driving.
The Silicon Valley carmaker also has a history of releasing unfinished software and inadequately informing users of what these systems can and cannot do, leading to crashes and even deaths. It introduced a Full Self-Driving function as a beta in October 2020, causing users to post up videos of themselves driving hands-free. For its part, Tesla warned that the system “may do the wrong thing at the worst time, so you must always keep your hands on the wheel and pay extra attention to the road.” The system is still in beta.
The company came under increased scrutiny last year when it decided to ship the Model 3 and Y without radar sensors, relying solely on cameras (these vehicles, by the way, are still being sold as being fitted with “Full Self-Driving Hardware”). In February, the cars were investigated by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) after drivers complained of “phantom braking” caused by false positives.
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So, the police wants to kill that local company that sells a branch of OpenPilot? Basically, you will kill the future of the country as well with this mindset.
The more backward you are, the more aggressive you have to be. If you act like another SIRIM, the country is almost confirmed doomed. See how much SIRIM has impeded the progress of technology, by driving up costs so much that producing and deploying low cost wireless systems is financially unfeasible. Similar systems are widely available elsewhere, especially in richer countries that can afford those certification costs, and the originating countries where they are already certified by the manufacturers. While Malaysia, a backward country that is not rich, and not the originating country of the equipment, is stuck.
Copy paste: “He also mentioned that while Tesla has fitted the car with “Full Self-Driving Hardware,” Autopilot currently still requires driver supervision and is not a “full self-driving” system in its own right.
“The Autopilot feature in Tesla vehicles is helpful to drivers, but it doesn’t mean that drivers can completely take their hands off the steering wheel and mistakenly think that the system can automatically and safely control the car,” Bakri said.”
Watch the local and foreign OpenPilot videos. How many drivers were not completely hands off the steering wheel?
By the way, OpenPilot is not even as good as Autopilot.
Malaysia’s infrastructure and road condition are not ready for full autopilot. This system is definitely not ready in here.
There is a lot of things wrong with Malaysia, but to call it a backwards country simply because they prioritize the safety and lives of Malaysian motorists? Perhaps you are the one who is thinking backwards.
Tesla’s FSD in its country of origin is a joke, there are tonnes of video on the net of FSD blasting through red lights, getting into accidents and almost running over pedestrians. If you want to be a beta tester in a closed environment be my guest, but the public didn’t sign up for this.
Also driving isn’t hard, if you’re that lazy to pay attention to the road then take a bus.
Let us look at the statistics from our current production quality drivers :
https://paultan.org/2022/01/27/255532-road-accidents-jan-sep-2021-3302-deaths/
More than 200k road accidents, more than 3k deaths a year. None of these were known to be caused by the beta systems.
Yeah? And how many are there tesla self driving cars in Malaysia? Lol. Pulling out some data to drive your own narrative without understanding the data. Facepalm.
You are missing the point, which is, these accidents along the highways of Malaysia are all caused by drivers of cars NOT on autopilot.
So what if the driver has both hands on the steering wheel? Still has plenty of road accidents that kills and maime. Maybe, just maybe, autopilot driver is the way to cut down on human error?
This kind of ad hoc ruling and continuous flipping in interpretation of law and enforcement really highlights our 3rd world mentality. This should have been in all risk assessments when level 2 semi autonomous was made available on Malaysian roads.
Level 2 semi autonomous does not allow hands-free.
Tesla hands-free doesn’t seem like a certified Level 3 nor level 4 yet.
It is dangerous, developing beta mode.
https://paultan.org/2019/07/10/autonomous-driving-tech-level-0-to-level-5-explained/
It is not about the law here, this is a matter of sinkie education. What are they teaching their generations? Learn to break laws? Learn to steal from the poor?
Ad Hoc ruling? Do you even read?
“Road Traffic Rules 1959 stipulates good attitude, caution and concentration while driving.”
this road traffic rules 1959 has loophole, its powerless against autopilot usage.
3rd world mentality kepala bana kau. Didnt you read the report? Referred to research done by MIT tu. Stuuuu peedd
where got flipping my friend. Aiyoyo. Read the rules and regulation la. Read your insurance policy also ma. I’m a technologies too, thats why we know that the marketeers are always lying lor. And the businessmen just want to sell sell sell only. Haiyaaa.
How can you ban something that has no applicable law?
Does a summon for that even valid in court?
Simple. Malaysia JPJ driving rules – 2 hands on steering.
Go back to school 17 years old, you can only enforce something when it’s a law. Show me where it states in our law that says 2 hands driving is mandatory……..
Copy paste: “Taking hands off steering wheel is against the law already.”
Road_transport_act_1987
Section: Careless and inconsiderate driving
Subsection 43 (1) A person who drives a motor vehicle on a road without due care and attention… shall be guilty of an offence and *shall on conviction be punished with a fine of not less than four thousand ringgit and not more than ten thousand ringgit and shall also be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. DREDD PRESIDES.
You should do more reading before sekolah kan orang. What a shame …..
PDRM can saman them for dangerous driving. Not having your hands on steering at all times is considered dangerous driving. Think Safety First!
Taking hands off steering wheel is against the law already.
Hmm then you need to meet those legendary Malaysian on the road with one hand holding on to the phone and on the other holding on a cigarettes – all while driving a manual.
That mean if he got caught then saman lor… why u pening2?
which part the police said ‘ban’? there is no ban on auto-pilot cars. You can drive auto-pilot car as long as you pay attention, hands on steering wheel etc. Or u just lazy want to give excuse then hope for the chance to sleep while driving all the way of the journey?
The PDRM is way “be hind” in their LOGOC. TESLA auto drive has been PROVEN to be SAFER than HUMANS drivers who fall asleep , Speed , Switched lanes dangerously , etc. So PDRM is … auto cra tic ???
PROVEN to be SAFER? Can you tell that to the surviving relatives of this poor guy?
https://paultan.org/2016/07/01/driver-killed-in-the-first-known-fatal-crash-of-a-tesla-vehicle-with-autopilot-mode-active/
How many ppl killed by autopilot? How many humans killed by humans behind the wheel? Statistically most accidents are caused by humans..
Human kill human, human go to jail.
Robot car kill human? Robot car go to jail?
Later robot car activates Skynet kill humanity how?
damn you got the whole squad laughing
So I was right about that car being driven totally handsfree for a stretch. Elon, tolong jawab? What happen to purported your Tesla safety updates that supposed to warn drivers in keeping their hands on wheel even in Autopilot mode?
What happen if accident with someone else and both mati? Who will tanggung? Tesla owner relatives or you Elon?
From pumping RON95 to misusing Autopilot, SG folks barely a week from entering Malaysia already showed how bodoh sombong they can be. Their culture has this saying, their parents did not bring them up well.
Saying Singaporean sombong is not right. But we malaysian must think, y they act sombong in malaysia, will they act the same when they r in country like japan, europe or US?
We cant denied the fact that Singapore is way developed than us, else y so many Malaysian work there.
We malaysian must improve so that one day they r not able to sombong to us anymore. One day is Singaporean come over to work in Malaysia…
What can rakyat Malaysia do? Tell SG Education minister how to teach their citizen not to break the laws? Maybe if UMNO ran SG, their citizen won’t so easy tempted to come and break laws with impunity.
Dude, the warning has been there all the time. It just takes a bit more time to activate.
Even if drivers do it..how u gonna catch them?..lol
Are you still going to lol when one of these robot cars hit & killed ur loved ones?
fr bro
These regulators (in this case, a Malaysian regulator) missed a very important point. These autonomous driving things are not about technology adoption, to show what you can afford. They serve one extremely important objective – technology creation/production. What is needed by the country is not what cream we allow to go through the regulators into the country. What the country needs is what cream we can export from the country. If you kill the processes that are needed to create/produce the cream, then you export no cream. Or you become another dumb manufacturer for someone else who created the cream. Who cannot become a dumb manufacturer? There are many that can replace Malaysia.
Malaysia should be proud but it turned upside down. Authorities should be more opened minded to accept the latest technology updates
Oh I’m sure you are very open minded when one of these robot cars collides with you and split open the skull. Very open minded.
>To their credit, the TikTok user said the couple had driven most of the way using Autopilot with their hands on their steering wheel, only taking them off to show users how the system worked.
So either they are lying, or intentionally deceived their viewers.
How about throwing these people in prison for a while and see if they still want to make damaging social media videos?
If nobody viral their auto-pilot drive, everybody can drive with auto-pilot.
People love to show their kebodohan on the internet, deswai they got caught. Like pumping RON95 when one is barred from it.
most of the commentator here could not afford a Tesla but critical on the law like they the one whom afected much, not tp offend but hard fact
you really saying the rich should be able to dictate the law?
Yes, who pays who rules
oh, then i can send you to jail now huh?
Ezy, you don’t need to own a Tesla or any autonomous car in order to be able to think. Use your brain and heart. In every new things introduced to the world, it must come with counter safety technologies, not to mention new law, rules and regulations. Accidents will continue to happen and it will effect someone life or assets. All those need to be dealt with, including legal systems and financial consequences to victims. Do more reading and own thinking bro.
Tesla autopilot is not foolproof. At least accidents have happened in the US that results in loss of lives. I applaud PDRM for erring in the side of caution. These boys in blue are the one to rescue you in an accident.
This is the case of technology out running the law … “Road Traffic Rules 1959”? The law needs to catch up with tech and be more forward looking …
This is the case of human stupidity relying on imperfect technology.
Eh guess what, California Rules of the Road (21000 – 23336) was enacted in 1959, seriously backward right?
California said they will review regulation on the so-called self-driving tech, earlier this year. Again, with people’s safety in mind.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/us-news/2022/01/13/california-reviews-teslas-self-driving-car-tests-for-regulations/
The basic interpretation is…
You can still drive using auto-pilot but must meet either of these 2 conditions….
Hands must remain on steering wheel
OR
Don’t post it on TikTok
Of course ban first. Need time to explore if any money can be made from this. Apa-apa pun, duit paling penting.
The police does not create laws, they only enforce and interpret laws. As such, whatever they say can be challenged in court. That much is clear.
However the use of autonomous technology as the PDRM states should not cause or be used as cause for the operator to not pay attention to the road / practice maximum operation capability. It will be easily winnable in court to prove that not holding the steering is as example of that, and thus will lose in court. Fine or punishment applies.
Plice also never wear seat belt…why not catch this first.
Malaysia knows that Tesla and other self-drive car technology and Electric car technology is spearheaded by Jews and Israel to sideline the Oil Rich Muslim nations. Because all self-drive cars are almost exclusively electric cars.
Malaysian government being essentially Anti Israel, trying to bar the entry of this technology in Malaysia. But the policy will only leave Malaysia behind as rest of the world move ahead
Don’t ban Tesla. Ban Singapore drivers la. They are the nuisance to public safety. Lol!
Lol, look at how many Malaysian drives without hands on steering (eating, drinking, phone, whatsapp, continue the list please), these people no need auto-pilot.
If you wan to ban auto-pilot, please enforce strict law on those on phones etc, by the way, maybe start with anti-bribing?
asal dengar Polis or JPJ je terus nak kondem..susah la kalau dah toxic minded..komplen macam2 memang la senang..kalau ko sendiri kene langgar dgn auto-pilot car tu baru la tau macam mana
senang je nak tau toxic minded ke tak..polis takde pun ban kereta auto-pilot ni, boleh je pakai asalkan kene hands on the steering wheel and proper good driving behaviour bukannya drive macam nak tido from start to the end of trip. tapi korang mandai2 lak cakap backward country lah, kenapa ban lah, etc.
kadang2 ko rase ko betul tapi padahal takde la betul sangat
Condemn for the sake of condemning, that’s the mentality of these type of toxic people. Most of the time they don’t even read or understand, but bash nevertheless.
Rakyat Malaysia patriots fully supports our hardworking authorities! #SupportPDRM #SupportJPJ
At least we should be proud lah, our PDRM really do their homework this time. Puak2 bodoh ni lah dok chanting going backward tak sudah. Padahal baru dua negara guna auto pilot tu pun bersyarat.
Moving forward sangat.
Government should also ban ADAS because if the driver can’t drive in a straight line than shouldn’t be allowed to drive
If you can’t drive in a straight line without the aid of ADAS, you are not fit to drive at all, with or without ADAS.
Let these drive have what they want, now they are complaining about moving forward and freedom. At least they will pay or even die for their consequences ….. Happily on their own
They go to h3ll themselves nobody will care. What about if they take innocents with them along?
This is OpenPilot in action. Original. Not branch/copy sold by Kommunis. The same system also is in my Altis:
https://youtu.be/Y7gsFxZC424
I dont want to share my videos. Viral nanti kena saman.
So many experts here, this goes about laws related to AI/autonomous driving more importantly ethics in AI.
So, if the smart car goes and hits someone – who’s fault, is it ? The driver ? The car ? PDRM ? The person who wrote the AI program ?
We don’t have clear laws yet, of course our politicians are in another world – but because we do not have laws governing that – which means issues related to insurance, claims and others are out there in the open
Clearly even the autopilot requires hand to be there and still needs intervention
Mercedes just declared they will take legal responsibility with their L3 cars
https://paultan.org/2022/03/31/mercedes-benz-to-take-responsibility-for-self-driving-risk-if-it-crashes-blame-is-on-the-car-not-driver/
Which is why Mercedes still haven’t come out with a L3 certified car yet. They are not that irresponsible to boast something that they are not fully ready. That is the difference between a proper car maker and a software company pretending to be a car maker.
so how u gonna enforce?
I used Autopilot on the motorway (M40) in UK on a Tesla S in 2017 and it was reliable. I am sure the software and hardware has improved tremendously since.
You are not allowed to be hands off but the car basically drove itself (handsfree) for a good 25-30 minutes stretch in my case. I trust Autopilot more than drivers who are concentrating, and of course even more so than phone using, eating, drunk, tired, distracted drivers.
Good luck enforcing this though.
with or without autopilot, DRINK DRIVING should NOT be allowed at all!!! They should not be operating any machineries, what more a moving one.
With 1 million lost of life on the road each year. This is the only technology that can work to lower down numbers of life lost because of traffic accident. Imagine if the number just lower down to 500k only. That would equal to 500k more life right now. 500k more productivity. 500k more consumers. 500k more of everything
Singaporeans think Malaysia is a lawless land. so they can do whatever they want here. Summon them also no pain coz their currency is 3 times higher than us. naturally they think they are smarter and superior than Malaysians.
Of course, instead of saying if they will find out if it can be safe and actually reduce accidents and start implementing guides required for autonomous driving like singapore. Authorities here, who are always backwards thinking simply will ban it. The only guide they have is ‘if it’s convenience for the public…ban it’ .That way they can think less and work less.
Frankly it’s about time that governments got serious about this and banned Tesla and every other manufacturer from selling vehicles with self-driving functionality. It’s a very minor problem now due to the small number of Tesla on the road, but without stringent regulation and punishment will grow to be a very big problem as more and more vehicles claim a degree of autonomous driving. On-board computers simply cannot, and will never replace the ability of human drivers to react appropriately under all road conditions, leading to pointless deaths, regardless of whatever distorted and misleading statistics manufacturers and tech-defenders care to trot out.