Tesla FSD v14.2.1: We Tested the 'Text & Drive' Feature! Spoiler: Still a Bad Idea, Folks!

TL;DR: Elon Musk said Tesla's FSD v14.2.1 might let you text and drive depending on traffic, so someone actually tested it. The verdict? While the car might let you, it's still a wildly bad idea, illegal in most places, and if you crash, your phone ain't gonna take the blame. Don't be a fool, stay cool!

Meta: Tesla's FSD v14.2.1 was tested for its 'texting and driving' capability, revealing it allows some phone use depending on traffic, but safety warnings remain.

Alright, folks, strap in, because we're about to dive into a topic that makes insurance agents sweat and police officers reach for their ticket books: texting and driving with Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised). Elon Musk, bless his visionary heart, recently hinted that FSD v14.2.1 might allow this 'depending on context of surrounding traffic.' And you know what that means? Someone had to go and test it! For science, of course, and to save you from making questionable life choices.

Now, let's be crystal clear: just because a car might let you do something doesn't mean you should. We're talking Level 2 autonomy here, people. That means you are still the captain of this electric ship, and if it hits an iceberg, it's your fault. Every state in the U.S. has laws against texting while driving, and some even frown upon holding your phone while the car is in motion. So, unless you've got a good lawyer on speed dial, keep those peepers on the road!

The Great Texting Experiment: Low, Medium, High Congestion

The brave soul behind this experiment took to the roads, trying to figure out when FSD's cabin camera would give 'em the stink eye for staring at their phone. They broke it down into three levels of congestion: low, medium, and high. The mission: peek at the phone for no more than five to seven seconds, always glancing back at the road, and absolutely no pedestrians involved. Safety first, laughs second!

On low and medium congestion roads, with sparse or moderate traffic, the FSD system was surprisingly chill. No nudges, no alerts, nada. The driver could glance down, scroll through some memes, and glance back up without the car screaming at them. It's like FSD was saying, 'You do you, boo, just don't crash.'

It wasn't until the highway, our 'high congestion' area (even if traffic wasn't bumper-to-bumper), that the cabin monitoring system finally decided to pipe up. A quick alert, a stern 'Pay Attention,' and the phone went down faster than a politician's approval rating. So, FSD does have limits, it just waits for you to push 'em a bit harder than you might expect.

My True Thoughts: Trust, But Verify (Your Local Laws!)

While FSD's capabilities are undeniably impressive, and it's certainly a step towards more unsupervised operation, the tester still felt uncomfortable with the idea. And honestly, who can blame 'em? The liability for an accident still falls squarely on the human driver. Plus, nobody wants to get pulled over by Officer Friendly and explain that their car said it was okay to text. 'My robot told me to!' ain't gonna cut it in court.

Tesla's website itself still clearly states that drivers must remain attentive. So, while FSD might be getting smarter, the human brain still needs to be the smartest thing in the car. Until the legal and ethical landscape catches up, and liability shifts, maybe just enjoy the ride, and leave the texting for when you're parked. Or, you know, when you're not operating a multi-ton vehicle.

What’s Next

This 'texting and driving' capability, even if context-dependent, opens up a huge can of worms for regulatory bodies and public perception. We're likely to see more discussions about the boundaries of Level 2 autonomy and how driver monitoring systems should ideally function. Tesla will continue to refine FSD, but drivers should always prioritize safety and adhere to local laws. Maybe one day, your car will actually be able to run errands while you binge-watch Netflix, but we ain't there yet. Not by a long shot.

So, save the selfies for when you're not in motion. And remember, a good joke can't save you from a bad crash. Bazinga!"