A teenager who thought she passed her driving test ended up failing after the DMV deemed the vehicle she took the test in “too advanced.”
The teenager, whose name has not been released, was driving her family’s Tesla Model Y in Arizona.
After completing the test, the young aspiring driver thought she had passed, but was told to return to the DMV the next day to finalize the details.
It was when he returned that he was told he had failed because the examiner believed he had relied on the car’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature and had not used the brake pedal enough.
A Tesla with Full Self-Driving mode can automatically brake in certain situations, including at traffic lights and stop signs.
A teenager who thought she had passed her driving test ended up failing after the DMV deemed the vehicle she took the test in to be “too advanced”
“If we don’t know he can brake with the brake pedal, how do we know he can drive a non-Tesla vehicle?” the Arizona Department of Transportation (AZDOT) official said, according to the father’s post on January 2016
Despite the family’s explanation that the car did not have FSD activated and that the car’s regenerative braking system was responsible for the limited use of the brake pedal.
Regenerative braking, a common feature on many electric vehicles, automatically slows the vehicle when the driver lifts his or her foot off the accelerator, reducing the need for traditional braking.
AZDOT declined to review the test results, and one DMV employee suggested that Teslas could be banned from future tests because of their “excessive safety features.”
After some persistence, the Arizona DMV eventually relented and reversed its decision to license the teen, but suggested the organization might reevaluate how it will evaluate Tesla drivers in the future.
As electric vehicles, including Teslas, become more common, driving instructors may need to adjust their testing methods, including instructing candidates to disable any automatic braking features to ensure drivers can demonstrate manual control.
The family insisted the car was not in full self-driving mode and that the car’s regenerative braking system was responsible for the limited use of the brake pedal.
The teen’s father, frustrated with the situation, said automatic transmission drivers are not required to prove they can operate a manual transmission during their tests, and yet they still get their license.
Those reading the Reddit thread shared similar stories after having tested a Tesla and noted how there seems to be a growing disconnect between modern electric vehicles (EVs) and traditional test drives.
‘My girlfriend failed by using the rear cameras when reversing,’ said one user.
“The DMV hasn’t kept up with the times and doesn’t know how to handle electric vehicles,” another suggested.
Not everyone seemed to share sympathy for the family.
“If you ever have to drive a regular car, will you know how to brake properly?” one asked, while another agreed with the DMV’s opinion.
“They want to make sure you know how to brake, especially in an emergency.”
Some suggested that a simple test drive solution could be introduced that would require drivers to disable features such as regenerative braking and lane assist systems during their road tests.
It would ensure new drivers can perform basic manual tasks, including braking and parking, without assistance.
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