Slovakia approves Tesla driver assistance system — TimesLIVE

Slovakia earlier this month approved Tesla Assisted Driving (TAD) software designed to assist the driver. Latvia on Monday became the tenth European country to allow the use of this technology. This is another step by Tesla in promoting the system on the European market.

Launch in Slovakia

As TimesLIVE reports, Slovak Tesla owners had sought permission to use TAD. The Tesla Owners Slovakia club, which has 1,500 registered members, organized a car light show near the transport ministry to draw regulators' attention to the technology.

Club president Kristián Kratochvíl said that members also contacted Slovakia's transport ministry after the system was first approved in the Netherlands and regularly asked about the progress of the review. TAD was previously called FSD. A monthly subscription to the system costs 99 euros.

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The need for driver control

During a test drive, the system operated smoothly in motorway traffic jams and while changing lanes in traffic. At the same time, 35-year-old Tesla owner Igor Marcek had to brake sharply manually when the car did not begin slowing down before a closed barrier.

At a Supercharger station, the car also failed to drive itself into a free charging spot, after which the driver took control. Marcek noted that the technology is still developing, so the driver needs to remain attentive and monitor the car's actions.

Tesla says TAD can reduce the number of collisions by more than fourfold and save lives, but safety researchers dispute these figures. In a number of EU countries, regulators have expressed concerns about the system's safety and drivers' ability to maintain proper attention.