On August 19, Central United States, according to Bloomberg News, when a Model S owner in Texas was using the “autopilot†function, the vehicle did not recognize the bend on the highway and rammed into the guardrail. . Fortunately, 44-year-old Mark Molthan was not seriously injured.
The Model S in this incident, pictured from: Bloomberg
Molthan recalled when he was looking for a cloth in the glove box and was planning to scrub the dashboard. In other words, he did not rely on Tesla's official advice to put his hand on the steering wheel when using this feature.
However, the performance of the Model S after the accident vehicle hit the railing was frightening. Because it did not stop after it crashed into the guardrail, it continued to accelerate until it finally stopped after repeated collisions.
The 44-year-old owner, Molthan, said: “I always use the Autopilot Autopilot feature when driving at high speeds. But I think this is extremely dangerous and it gives you a false sense of security. It missed a corner. , and then I straight to the guardrail. And hit the barrier, the car did not stop but continue to accelerate forward. "Molthan said he would never want to be the test of the "mouse".
This situation makes people suspect that Tesla's automatic driving function does not seem to have protection mechanisms after an accident.
In early May of this year, a Tesla Model S owner, Joshua Brown, died of a car collision due to over-reliance on the autopilot function, which was the first case of death involving autopilot. The auto-pilot function is at the forefront of the storm, and the US Highways and Highways Administration has also conducted a related investigation.
On August 3, Tesla was also the “first hit†in China. A Sina Weibo user named Qunar_Laronaardo issued a document saying that his Tesla Model S sedan was driving in autopilot mode. Santana, where the front inside lane was parked, was not identified and collided with it. Fortunately, no casualties were found.
Many people who were formerly Tesla and its founder Elon Musk admirers turned their backs and accused him of using an immature technology as a publicity gimmick to market.
However, the Tesla's automatic driving function also protects the safety of many owners, but it is rarely reported in the news, and people have the impression that the autopilot function is very dangerous.
"Automatic driving is always in the news because of accidents. I am very sick of this. No one knows that this feature also avoids many accidents." Los Angeles-based Diana Becker said in a telephone interview that she recently took The two daughters had a 27-day journey to the west. When she was driving the Model X, a car suddenly passed through the front and the Model X immediately braked, preventing the two cars from colliding. Becker said: "I'm going to drive 400 miles a day. The autopilot function is my second pair of eyes. I rely on it.
In addition, according to Slate, on July 26th, a 37-year-old Model X owner Joshua Neally had a sudden pulmonary embolism on his way to the car. In the event of severe body aches, he relied on Tesla’s autopilot function on the highway. After running 20 miles, he successfully reached a nearby hospital and saved his life.
Joshua Neally and his Tesla, from: Slate
According to statistics, of the 35,200 U.S. deaths caused by a car accident in 2015, 94% were caused by human factors. Tesla's automatic driving function is to “take over†certain driving rights from human hands, and stop the danger caused by people’s negligence.
However, this is ultimately an auxiliary system that does not completely replace humans. Perhaps the name “Autopilot†does indeed have a certain misleading effect on consumers. Tesla seems to be aware of this. On the official website of China, where “autopilot†has appeared in the past, it has been quietly replaced by the new expression “auto-assisted drivingâ€.
In today's auto market, major manufacturers have marched into the “autopilot†field. As consumers, they have to carefully read the manuals. It is entirely convinced that the era of machines will still come for some time.
Via Bloomberg
Extended reading
Tesla Autopilot in the eyes of a longtime user
Tesla owners are sick and rely on automatic driving to save their lives
Tesla is driving China's first collision! Failed to recognize the car ahead