Here's a Reminder on the Limitations of Tesla's Autopilot
Drivers still need to pay attention to what’s coming up on roadways.
Following an accident, a Tesla Model S posted on Reddit that his car crashed while on Autopilot, describing the accident as the misreading of the road, leading to his car hitting a barrier. The owner said Autopilot was on and never gave him a warning and thankfully no one was hurt in the accident. A few days later, another Reddit user shared dash cam footage of the accident that was taken from a vehicle driving behind the Tesla Model S when the accident occurred.
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The footage shows that the Model S needed to merge or change lanes in order to avoid hitting a barrier, something the system didn’t do. What’s also evident is that the white lines on the roadway are improperly marked, possibly misleading Autopilot into believe it was traveling the way it should. In fact, the vehicle with the dash cam also appears to make a quick movement to avoid the barrier as a result of the road’s design.
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[Source: Reddit]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Aren't there suppose to be sensors in the front bumper that should have detected the barrier as a foreign object on the road and cause the car to try and avoid a collision??? I didn't know that these cars are programmed to just BLINDLY travel down the road in a pre-programmed path and not actually scan the road ahead for hazards.... sad.