Tesla Begins Release of Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control Feature in the U.S.

Tesla is beginning the release of its Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control feature in the United States. As its name indicates, the feature will allow the car to automatically slow down and stop at intersections.

RELATED: ELON MUSK SAYS TESLA IS PLANNING A NAVIGATION UPDATE "LIGHT-YEARS AHEAD OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM" 

Starting today Teslas in the US can automatically stop for traffic lights and stop signs.🚦🛑

Just say where you want to go. Your Tesla will drive you through city streets, across highways interchanges, go around slow cars, and exit all on its own.

You just monitor. @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/ryRKiReZqc

— Third Row Tesla Podcast (@thirdrowtesla) April 24, 2020

This might not seem like a big deal to most, but the feature was indeed highly anticipated. Tesla also described exactly how the feature would work in the release notes of the new update:

Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control is designed to recognize and respond to traffic lights and stop signs, slowing your car to a stop when using Traffic-Aware Cruise Control or Autosteer. This feature will slow the car for all detected traffic lights, including green, blinking yellow, and off lights. As your car approaches an intersection, your car will indicate the intention to slow down via a notification, slow down, and stop at the red line shown on the driving visualization.

To continue through the stop line, push down the gear selector once or briefly press the accelerator pedal to confirm that it is safe to proceed. As with all Autopilot features, you must continue to pay attention and be ready to take immediate action, including braking because this feature may not stop for all traffic controls. This feature will be conservative, slow down often at first, and will not attempt to turn through intersections. Over time, as we learn from the fleet, the feature will control more naturally.

To enable, shift your car into PARK and tap Controls > Autopilot > Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control (Beta).

We are for any update that makes our streets safer and our drives more pleasant, so we definitely support this feature. Time will tell how effective it really is as Tesla owners often share their experiences online.