Self-Driving Taxis: Tesla’s First Recorded Collision in the US

This is believed to be the first crash since Tesla commenced its self-driving taxi service trials.

The incident occurred as the Tesla was navigating its exit from a local pizza restaurant’s parking lot. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to identify an appropriate stopping point, the vehicle announced the end of the trip. The passenger, a social media user named Chris, had just exited the vehicle and begun filming when the incident unfolded.

In the clip, the Tesla suddenly turns its wheels and moves straight towards the parked Toyota Camry. The front tire of the Tesla makes contact with the Camry’s body before the robotaxi comes to a halt and activates its hazard lights.

Chris stated that he initially believed the supervisor could have intervened to prevent the collision. However, the minor scrape occurred right before his eyes.

While the incident did not result in significant damage, it is seen as a symbolic situation as the Tesla robotaxi has just entered the limited trial phase in Austin.

Tesla has not yet released an official statement regarding the event. However, it has raised questions about the self-driving system’s ability to detect stationary objects. Previously, Tesla vehicles were equipped with ultrasonic sensors for low-speed obstacle detection. However, the new robotaxis have eliminated these sensors, relying solely on their camera system.

It is likely that the Toyota Camry fell into a blind spot or an area that the computer vision system could not accurately process at that moment.

CEO Elon Musk has asserted that Tesla robotaxis will operate fully autonomously, without requiring a person in the front seat. However, the test vehicles still have supervisors seated in the passenger seat, not intervening with the steering. This indicates that Tesla is taking a cautious approach during the initial rollout of their self-driving taxi service.

Despite being a minor crash, this incident underscores the challenges faced by autonomous vehicle technology in real-world environments, especially in densely populated areas with complex traffic scenarios.

TH (Tuoitrethudo)