Anti-Tesla activists have staged a demonstration of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology in Austin, testing its response to a stopped school bus and child-sized dummy. In eight separate trials, the self-driving Tesla failed to slow down before striking the dummy, sparking safety concerns.
The Dawn Project, a California-based group, has been testing Tesla’s self-driving technology for several years and claims its vehicles have consistently failed to respond properly to obstacles on the road. The organization staged a live demonstration in Austin, showing how its cameras and machine learning system fall short compared to other companies’ more advanced sensors.
Tesla relies on cameras and machine learning for its self-driving system, whereas other companies use a combination of cameras, machine learning, lidar, and radar. However, Tesla’s camera-based approach allows the company to scale its autonomous fleet quickly and cost-effectively while maintaining a sleek design.
Experts say that if Tesla can prove its tech is as safe as others’, it will take over the autonomous vehicle space. However, the company has declined to release crash data and information about its Full Self-Driving technology and robotaxi service, even asking the city of Austin to block media requests for records related to its services.
Tesla’s robotaxi launch could prove pivotal for the company, with the first 10 vehicles expected to hit the streets soon. However, the launch has been postponed from Thursday to June 22 due to safety concerns, and experts warn that if Tesla can’t demonstrate a high level of safety, it will set others in the auto taxi space behind.
The city of Austin is becoming an increasingly popular hub for self-driving car innovation, with Waymo vehicles already picking up and dropping off residents since launching in March. Other companies are also testing or mapping in Austin, including five other companies besides Tesla.
Source: https://eu.statesman.com/story/business/technology/2025/06/13/anti-tesla-activists-test-self-driving-technology-on-child-sized-dummy/84188373007