Concerns
are mounting in South Korea following the release of Tesla's (TSL)
Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, a semi-autonomous feature, The
Korea Times reports. Industry commentators and specialists voiced
worry on December 1 that motorists will increasingly rely on this
advanced driving assistance, despite insufficient regulatory
oversight and institutional safeguards.
The
crucial issue is the current lack of a clear legal or regulatory
framework that fully addresses the risks associated with
internationally-popular, sophisticated driving aids. This places an
undue burden on South Korean drivers, who are using technology not
yet fully adapted to local road conditions, under an assumption of
complete user responsibility.
The
American electric vehicle manufacturer secured Level 2
certification for the supervised iteration of the software. This
permits the service to be used in locally distributed Model S and
Model X vehicles, which are imported from the United States. Under
the Level 2 classification, drivers must maintain focus and
continuously observe the road environment. Experts, however, stress
that this is inadequate to guarantee road safety, cautioning
against over-reliance on what is essentially just an advanced
assistance mechanism.
Automotive
technology professor Kim Pil-soo suggested that Tesla's move to
launch the supervised version was an attempt to avoid liability in
the event of an accident. Critically, he noted that customer trust
in the global reputation of Tesla's system is excessively high.
Under the current rules, the driver bears full responsibility for
any incident while using the Level 2 system. In contrast, Level 3
autonomous vehicles—which allow drivers to divert attention from
the road—must receive prior governmental authorisation before
domestic sale.
The
Korean government allowed FSD operation to comply with the
Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). This trade pact permits
the import of US-made vehicles meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards, an upper limit that was recently removed, potentially
paving the way for further imports of Tesla vehicles with
FSD.
However,
experts such as automotive engineering professor Lee Ho-geun have
called for tougher regulations and thorough testing of FSD-equipped
vehicles under local Korean road conditions. Motorists also shared
apprehension regarding potential malfunctions, citing previous
collision reports involving the brand. As the global autonomous
vehicle market is predicted to expand from around $106bn in 2021 to
over $2.3trillion by 2030, authorities are under pressure to act to
improve safety.
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