Tesla Launches Safety Score Beta for Drivers Requesting FSD Beta

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Tesla began widespread deployment of its FSD Beta. After the company added a button to request the latest software, thousands of owners wanted to test the new features. However, not everyone will be able to access it, as Tesla will conduct a safety score for each driver before granting access to FSD Beta.

In parallel with the FSD Beta request button, Tesla is also launching Safety Score Beta, which will track the driving style of each owner who has made a request to install the new software. This is necessary in order to give access to testing only to those drivers who are extremely careful while driving and can immediately intervene if necessary to avoid accidents.

On its website, Tesla explains that Safety Score Beta is the first version of the Safety Score, which is an assessment of drivers' driving behavior based on five metrics, called Safety Factors. They are combined to assess the likelihood of whether each individual’s driving could result in a collision in the future. The company combines daily driver safety assessments to calculate the aggregated Safety Score, displayed on the main ‘Safety Score’ screen of the Tesla app.

The Safety Score is a value between 0 and 100, where a higher score indicates safer driving. According to the company, the majority of drivers in its vehicles have a safety rating of 80 or higher, which is a very good indicator. This parameter is monitored using five safety factors. They are measured directly by the Tesla vehicle using various sensors on the vehicle and Autopilot software.

Forward Collision Warnings per 1,000 Miles
Forward Collision Warnings are audible and visual alerts provided to you, the driver, in events where a possible collision due to an object in front of the vehicle is considered likely without your intervention. Events are captured based on the 'medium' Forward Collision Warning sensitivity setting regardless of your user's setting in the vehicle. Forward Collision Warnings are incorporated into the Safety Score formula at a rate per 1,000 miles.

Hard braking
Hard braking is defined as backward acceleration, measured by your Tesla vehicle, in excess of 0.3g. This is the same as a decrease in the vehicle’s speed larger than 6.7 mph, in one second. Hard braking is introduced into the Safety Score formula as the proportion of time (expressed as a percentage) where the vehicle experiences backward acceleration greater than 0.3g relative to the proportion of time where the vehicle experiences backward acceleration greater than 0.1g (2.2 mph in one second).

Aggressive Turning
Aggressive turning is defined as left / right acceleration, measured by your Tesla vehicle, in excess of 0.4g. This is the same as an increase in the vehicles speed to the left/right larger than 8.9 mph, in one second. Aggressive turning is introduced into the Safety Score formula as the proportion of time (expressed as a percentage) where the vehicle experiences lateral acceleration greater than 0.4g, in either the left or right direction, relative to the proportion of time where the vehicle experiences acceleration greater than 0.2g (4.5 mph in one second), in either the left or right direction.

Unsafe Following
Your Tesla vehicle measures its own speed, the speed of the vehicle in front and the distance between the two vehicles. Based on these measurements, your vehicle calculates the number of seconds you would have to react and stop if the vehicle in front of you came to a sudden stop. This measurement is called headway. Unsafe following is the proportion of time where your vehicle’s headway is less than 1.0 seconds relative to the time that your vehicle’s headway is less than 3.0 seconds. Unsafe following is only measured when your vehicle is traveling at least 50 mph and is incorporated into the Safety Score formula as a percentage.

Forced Autopilot Disengagement
The Autopilot system disengages for the remainder of a trip after you, the driver, have received three audio and visual warnings. These warnings occur when your Tesla vehicle has determined that you have removed your hands from the steering wheel and have become inattentive. Forced Autopilot Disengagement is introduced into the Safety Score formula as a 1 or 0 indicator. The value is 1 if the Autopilot system is forcibly disengaged during a trip, and 0 otherwise.

After collecting all the data, Tesla calculates the driver's daily Safety Score using the Predicted Collision Frequency (PCF) formula to predict how many collisions may occur per 1 million miles driven, based on driving behaviors of the measured driver in the Tesla vehicle. Even if the driver has not achieved a high safety score at the moment, he/she can improve it by improving every safety factor in his/her daily driving. Tesla CEO Elon Musk also said that the Safety Score will evolve over time to more accurately predict crash probability.

Forward Collision Warnings per 1,000 Miles
Maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle in front to give you enough time to react to slower or stationary vehicles. Pay attention to the other vehicles on the road and reduce speed in traffic congested areas.

Hard Braking
Engage the brake pedal early when slowing down, coming to a stop or reacting to a change in your environment. Use regenerative braking whenever possible and safe to do so. Maintaining a safe following distance reduces the instances where the brake pedal needs to be applied with extreme force.

Aggressive turning
When turning, changing lanes or rounding a corner, do so gradually. Reduce your speed heading into a turn, gradually accelerating out of the turn. Do not unnecessarily jerk the steering wheel.

Unsafe Following
Do not tailgate or drive close to the vehicle in front. Maintain a following distance of several car-lengths to the vehicle in front to have sufficient time to react to its speed. Remember that driving at higher speeds in inclement weather or on slick road surfaces requires a greater following distance to allow sufficient time to react safely.

Forced Autopilot Disengagement
Only use the various Autopilot features as described in your Owner’s Manual. Pay attention to the road and maintain your hands on the steering wheel while the Autopilot system is engaged. Autosteer detects your hands by recognizing slight resistance as the steering wheel turns, or from you manually turning the steering wheel very lightly (without enough force to take over steering). Autosteer also qualifies your hands as being detected if you engage a turn signal or use a button or scroll wheel on the steering wheel.

© 2021, Eva Fox | Tesmanian. All rights reserved.

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