In what could be termed a bold move during Super Bowl LVIII, safety advocacy group, The Dawn Project, aired two advertisements urging consumers to boycott Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) over alleged safety issues. Founder Dan O'Dowd appeared on CNBC's "Power Lunch" to further explain the group's concerns.
O'Dowd highlighted Tesla's full self-driving software as a major safety concern, stating that it performs poorly on non-highway roads. The group claims to have evidence showing the software's potential dangers, including scenarios where it could hit a child crossing the road, ignore stop signs on school buses, and disregard temporary road signs.
Despite the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) expressing frustration over these findings, it lacks the authority to compel Tesla to make necessary changes. O'Dowd criticized Tesla for allegedly evading liability by stating in its vehicle manuals that full self-driving should only be used on highways.
According to O'Dowd, the solution is simple: Tesla needs to update its software to prevent full self-driving from engaging on non-highway roads. He claimed he could personally implement these changes within days.
O'Dowd emphasized the severity of the issue, describing Tesla's software as "experimental baseline software that will try to kill you." He criticized Tesla for marketing the software as a safety feature while, in his opinion, it operates like a "drunk teenager."
However, the NTSB issued a statement distancing itself from The Dawn Project's advertisements. It demanded the removal of the NTSB seal from the group's website and prohibited its use in future commercials, stating that it had no involvement in the ad's production and does not endorse The Dawn Project's work.
