In May 2016, a Tesla driver lost his life in a fatal crash inside his vehicle while having the autopilot engaged. This incident has been brought up over and over again whenever Tesla talks about how safe their autopilot system is. A recent dash cam footage shows how quick and reliable the autopilot reacts to avoid dangers and accidents on the road.
Tesla's Newset Autopilot Update
The vehicle in the video was equipped with Tesla's 8.0 Autopilot software, which operates by using radar technology to see obstacles and objects around it. The auto pilot system is capable of seeing objects that are blocked, and that is not normally seen by a human eye or field of vision. Tesla only released the Autopilot 8.0 on September of this year.
The Model X Actively Reacts
In the video, the Tesla Model X can be heard producing an audible sound to warn the driver that there is a possible collision due to a vehicle suddenly braking. The vehicle that caused the collision cannot be seen on the dash cam footage since there is one more vehicle In front of the Model X, which would have been nearly impossible to avoid if not for the autopilot system. The autopilot system was successful in scanning two cars in front of the Model X and was also able to actively react to avoid being included in the collision.
Aside from letting out a warning sound, the vehicle's autopilot system engaged the emergency brakes of the vehicle in a very timely manner. Most drivers may have not been able to react immediately if only for the warning sound and the scenario may have lead to a vehicle pile up. The video shows that Tesla is not all talk and that they are committed to their words. The company has truly come a long way in technology and making the road a safer place for all its users.
