Elon Musk has been promising a fully self-driving Tesla experience for years, but a recent fatal incident in Arizona suggests the reality may be far from it. A 71-year-old woman was killed when a Tesla with its “Full Self-Driving” software collided with her while she was helping direct traffic after a previous accident.
The incident highlights the limitations of Tesla’s sensor technology, which relies on visual cameras rather than LiDAR systems like its competitor Waymo. This has led to multiple crashes in the past few years, and Tesla is now hiring engineers to work on “sensor cleaning systems” to address the issues.
Despite these efforts, experts warn that Tesla’s system still cannot be relied upon to drive safely without human supervision. The company’s internal documents anticipate a disaster with its upcoming robotaxi service in Austin, where driverless Model Ys are already testing roads with living humans.
The incident has sparked a federal investigation into Tesla’s self-driving software and raises concerns about the safety of autonomous vehicles on public roads. As one expert notes, “everyone on the roads will be a test subject” until these issues are fully resolved.
Source: https://futurism.com/footage-tesla-grandma