Apr 25, 2018 | by Iqtidar Ali
Tesla’s Autopilot is no doubt the most technologically advanced driver-assist system available on production cars from any manufacturer today but it has recently been mass criticized for some accidents probably involving the system.
Yesterday a Tesla owner ‘Jeremy Visnesky’ posted a dash-cam video to YouTube (below) showing his Tesla Model X avoiding a possible sideswipe collision by a swerving semi truck from the left. According to Jeremy, Autopilot system just reacted in time to save him from a near-miss crash.
Jeremy’s video description stated that he was driving through I-95 southbound when a Semi trailer suddenly swerved to the right and if it was not for the Autopilot assistance, this was a sure hit, he stated;
I-95 south driving through NC and a semi decided to nod off or play with his phone or something. Had auto pilot not have bolted to the side I’m pretty sure he would have hit me. This is in my Ap2 Tesla Model X
A similar forward-collision avoidance event made headlines in Dec 2016 from the Netherlands where a Tesla Model S sensed a vehicle braking in-front of the vehicle ahead using the radar waves and applied emergency brakes.
However Tesla advertises the ‘Enhanced Autopilot‘ system as a ‘driver assistance’ feature not a full self-driving system as of now, so Tesla owners are fully responsible of any damages resulting out of negligence.
Tesla Model X owner’s manual warns the vehicle users to not depend on the ‘steering interventions’ to avoid side collisions and should always remain alert and ready to handle the situation, the manual reads;
Warning: Steering interventions are minimal and are not designed to move Model X out of its driving lane. Do not rely on steering interventions to avoid side collisions.
Watch the Model X Autopilot avoiding the side-collision from a semi truck and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.