British Testing Group Nails Down Why Tesla's Autopilot Keeps Crashing

The first thing that happened when I drove a Tesla on Autopilot was an instant, unsettling feeling of not being comfortable in the car at all, thinking it’s always a moment away from crashing. Slowly, I got used to it and calmed down, just like everyone else I’ve talked to who has used Autopilot. This video from a British testing group shows exactly why that is a problem, and why we’ve seen the kind of Autopilot crashes that have been blowing up in the news.


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MDarringer - 6/14/2018 11:30:15 AM

+1 Boost

So their findings are literally what everyone has been saying all along. Brilliant.

TomM - 6/14/2018 12:29:56 PM

+4 Boost

Better than what?

What is he comparing it to?

Remember - among cars that HAVE autonomous AutoPilot features - his cars hold the record for the MOST crashes

Vette71 - 6/14/2018 11:54:00 AM

+1 Boost

It would be interesting to see them replicate the test with other manufacturers vehicles like the Cadillac system.

EVisNow - 6/14/2018 12:53:51 PM

+1 Boost

Yes I would like to see results from all automakers who offer AEB systems. Disclaimers from other car makers that I have a chance to examine clearly mention that AEB does not stop for stationary objects. Comparison data would provide a more objective view of the systems on how effective they are.

dumpsty - 6/14/2018 1:03:31 PM

+3 Boost

Autopilot has basically failed the Moose Test in a fantastically horrific manner.

The complicated cruise control system can not "think ahead" - to either slow down or stop or to change lanes in that traffic situation. Human interaction is needed to perform the "defensive" maneuvers necessary to avoid an accident.

In the video situation: by the time Autopilot demands human interaction, it's basically too late to avoid the crash.

dumpsty - 6/14/2018 1:13:07 PM

+3 Boost

...and the fact that maybe Tesla drivers are using the Autopilot features at times or in traffic situations where there is too many other vehicles around. Too many dynamic objects in motion around the vehicle to predict every possible/potential maneuver to avoid collisions.

My own basic rule-of-thumb...don't use cruise control in rush-hour traffic.

Vette71 - 6/14/2018 3:40:42 PM

0 Boost

Agree on the rush hour traffic situation. I have tried my ACC in those situations an while it works, too many other drivers continuously change lanes and it takes the centered sensor too long to pick them up before it reacts. A few near misses that I spotted just in time.

MDarringer - 6/15/2018 8:22:32 AM

0 Boost

The recent crash of the Model X revealed a massive flaw in Tesla's engineering. Autokill reads lines on the pavement to center the vehicle in the lane. That's fine until that lane begins to widen because it is going to split into two lanes. The system centered the vehicle and slammed it into concrete instead of being able to realize that the lane was getting ever wider and to choose one of the two lines to follow.