Tesla Plows Into Overturned Truck Without Slowing Down While in Autopilot Mode

When it comes to technology in the automotive industry, Tesla really seems to be on the cutting edge. It doesn’t even seem to be a close race as others are left to try and keep up. One way that Tesla manages to keep an edge is through its ever-developing autopilot system. They aren’t alone in autopilot technology. However, Tesla has made its presence as one of the pioneers in bringing it to the mainstream.

No matter how impressive autonomous driving might be, though, it’s still not legal without human supervision. Floating around the internet, we find various situations that attest to why there isn’t 100% autonomy just yet.

Even though the technology is pretty darn good, those in charge of making driving laws don’t think that it’s good enough to control itself just yet. Therefore, drivers behind the wheel of these machines need to be ready to take over should something go wrong.

A recent clip that has surfaced shows why that is. In this clip, an overturned truck sits in the middle of the highway. Meanwhile, a Tesla that was said to be under the control of an autopilot system struggles to recognize the obvious blockage. Cameras caught the moment that the car failed to slow down and plowed straight into the side of the truck. The driver was able to walk away but it has left many questioning why the accident happened.

In the video below from Wes Bard, we learn a bit about why the incident may have occurred. He insisted that the leading theory is that autopilot simply tends to struggle with stationary objects. However, it could’ve also had to do with something like the color of the truck or the shape of the road.

The video goes on to explain that autopilot is constantly learning with the input of the driver while the autopilot system isn’t actively in use. Apparently, this sort of technology that has come a long way still has quite a bit of a way to go before it can be trusted completely.