While in “Full Self-Driving” mode, a Tesla Model 3 appears to have come dangerously close to plowing its owner into an approaching tram.
The Model 3 is seen driving through Denver, Colorado, in a video from the Beta Tech OG YouTube channel. The left turn signal is on as the Model 3 comes to a stop at a stop sign.
When the light turned green, the car should have waited until it was safe to turn, but instead it accelerated to make the turn. The infotainment screen’s Autopilot display recognizes the tram, so it’s unclear why the driving system tried to make the turn. In the video, the tram’s driver honked loudly to let the other driver know it was there.
“That tram would have been directly struck by my car. The driver says, “That is not OK. I’m sending that over to Tesla.
Tesla, which has ceased its PR efforts, did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent.
Contrary to its name, Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” program is not an autopilot system or a self-driving vehicle; rather, it is a driver assistance program in which the user must always be able to regain control of the vehicle.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that from July of last year through 15 May, vehicles using Autopilot, “Full Self-Driving,” Traffic Aware Cruise Control, or other driver-assist systems were in 273 crashes, raising doubts about Tesla’s self-driving capabilities.
Tesla has the highest ratio of crashes to autonomous vehicles due to its approximately 830,000 vehicles on the road that are equipped with the systems. Honda was the next automaker to have the highest.
Honda reported 90 crashes involving driver assistance technologies, but Honda claims there are about six million of its cars on American roads. Subaru came in second with 10, while all other automakers only reported five.
Tesla cannot be held responsible for accidents, according to Elon Musk, because data it obtained demonstrates that Autopilot is not engaged during collisions. The NHTSA, however, reported that it discovered 16 instances in which Autopilot “aborted vehicle control less than one second prior to the first impact.”
Mr. Musk recently stated in an interview that Tesla’s value depends on its ability to create self-driving technology.
The feature, according to Mr. Musk, is “essential.
It essentially determines whether Tesla is worth a lot of money or practically nothing.
In addition, the company experienced a “very tough quarter,” according to emails from the CEO that were leaked.
Mr. Musk has a history of failing to meet deadlines for developing self-driving technology.
In 2019, he predicted that Teslas “will be able to find you in a parking lot, pick you up, and take you all the way to your destination without an intervention” and went so far as to add the qualifier, “That is not a question mark,” to emphasize the certainty of his claim.
Mr. Musk repeated the assertion in 2021, predicting that Tesla cars would be fully autonomous by 2022.
