Tesla ‘Nearly Crashes’ in Full Self-Driving Mode

An analyst who tested Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ mode says he “almost crashed,” reports Craig Trudell for Bloomberg CityLab.

Although William Stein says the vehicle showed impressive responsiveness to lane closures, potholes, and traffic flow, “What was surprising and went poorly, he said, was the system’s permissiveness — he was no longer required to tug on the steering wheel to keep FSD engaged, and was able to continue using it even while taking his eyes off the road.”

Stein says he had to intervene to prevent the Tesla from rear-ending another car, as well as when a police officer signaled them to slow down for a funeral procession. The car also changed lanes in a curvy section of highway where switching lanes is prohibited. According to Stein, the FSD system is “not even close to ‘solving’ autonomy.”

The company, like other autonomous carmakers, has repeatedly come under fire from state and federal regulators for its marketing of autonomous technology.