Tesla Model S adaptive cruise control crashes into Van

Just to make it clear: The Tesla Model S is the absolute best car in the world at the moment. Nothing comes close.

But, in this case there was a problem with the driving aids and also security systems: None of the safety-systems worked correctly:

1. The TACC, active cruise control did not brake as it normally does
2. The automatic braking system (AEB) did not make an emergency brake
3. The forward collision warning turned on way too late, it was set to normal warning distance
4. The TACC actually was speeding up just before I did hit the brakes

Yes, I could have reacted sooner, but when the car slows down correctly 1'000 times, you trust it to do it the next time to. My bad..

I was looking right to find a spot to merge, and did not realize soon enough that the TACC was accelerating towards the van. So my reaction was too slow because of that. It takes a second to realize that the system is failing and you have to take over.
In normal operation, the AP slows down as soon as another car puts one wheel on the lines to your lane.

I was in contact with Tesla Europe, but they could not provide me with any useful information. They just stated that "all systems worked as expected". Well, certainly not how I expected them to work...

(don't download or embed this video without my permission)

[lyom]

Love those beeps at the end.

* Beep beep beep! Autopilot disengaged. You now have 0.7 seconds to prevent the crash. *
Jesus, take the wheel!!!

[justinkearney]

I love this video, and your comments. People who weren't there are trying to assume everything that happened. All anyone can really say from this video is that self driving cars are not full proof.

[RonaldAbramson]

I have a Model P85D and with Autopilot on I would have expected it to have detected the parked van and stopped. That said, I'm not sure Autopilot was a good decision here. The Autopilot really had no options since it can't change lanes on its own so the best it could have done was to have stopped. I would have tapped my brakes in this situation and disabled Autopilot and taken over control and moved right but I do think the critics on YouTube are being unfairly harsh on you. The radar and the ultrasonic systems should have detected the object and stopped. Thanks for sharing the video - very good lesson for all of us of the limitations of Autopilot right now.

[lolschrauber]

Tesla's all like "beep, beep, I fucked up, mate"

[_Negra_Arroyo_Lane]

Computer: "oops, my bad..."

[Jumpingplayer]

thanks for uploading this, it's definitely interesting to see

[justinc]

I have a Tesla S 85D and it has the autopilot convenince features. I can categorically say that neither autopilot or traffic aware cruise control were engaged in this video. The series of beeps you heard with the forward collision warning the driver was dreaming and not paying attention to the road in front, clear case of driving "without due care and attention" in the UK

[BFArchn]

I gotta agree with the driver, the Tesla performed poorly here. For it to beep and not brake knowing of an impending impact, AEB isn't doing it's job.

I LOVE TESLA, but this is reason the car shouldn't have detected that enormous stationary object in front of it and braked automatically.

As for him possibly not paying attention, I doubt that is the case here, but even if it is, thats EXACTLY what AEB is supposed to help mitigate.

[FthePump]

Don't rely solely on this? Stay aware!

[raine]

It's 100% your fault. Pay attention next time. If you can't trust yourself to pay attention, then you should get Tesla to remove autopilot features from your car

[TheTger]

Bits und so ist halt immer sehr spannend, da kann man schon mal abgelenkt sein ;D

[SirSilverHair]

If people would only read the manual before using these systems... In the manual of my Audi A3's ACC it is statet, that the ACC doesn't react to standing objects like this Van. Why doesn't is react to standing objects? Because otherwise it would break for every tree in a corner and such things. I hope you learnd a lesson with this accident^^
Edit: Why did AEB didn't kick in? Same as with the ACC, it doesn't react to standing objects. AEB is there to react to cars in front of you, that are suddenly hard at the breaks. All systems of your Tesla worked as they where meant to work.

[new-knowledge]

Software simulation of Human Error, has been perfected.

[SwissOnlineLeo]

Maybe your Tesla just hates all FIAT cars :)

[olli]

Why so many dislikes?

Also: The driver in front of you didn't really drive according to the rules, did he? He was driving across two lanes, this probably messed up the autopilot even more. Still no excuse for the AEB not working at all.

[Furiends]

I've been watching lots of Tesla auto pilot videos and been amazed at all the collisions its been able to prevent. I completely agree this is a major flaw of the Tesla here though. Its clear that the other moving car blind sighted the obstacle in front of it which explains why the car was trying to speed up.

[MarceloMeireles]

Hi, Andreas. I have some questions if you don't mind:
a) When did this occur and what was the software version then?
b) The impact didn't seem so hard by the video. Did you have a moment to hit the break before impact?
c) How Tesla treated your case and are you having some kind of support from them?

Thanks

[stefanweiser]

I would suggest a conflict between implementation goals of the subsystem, that follows the car and drives around the obstacle (the van) and the subsystem, that let you stay in the lane. The first one controls the speed and distance to the car and correctly speeds up, because the distance grows, while the second one prevents you to leave the lane (You see a small jerk to the left short time before you would leave the lane). Because both systems assists you in their special manner, this may not be a system failure. When the Opel drives around the van, there would be one more lane (the van and the Opel). I don't think, that the car works that way. And you are right: An autonomous car must handle such situations. But, well, this is not an autonomous car!

[grumbazor]

Ich liebe das Piepen nach dem Crash. "Sieh hatten grade einen Unfall"

[billv]

I have a theory on why the cruise did not work in time. The system i believe uses radar and is sending out a signal at a set frequency in hertz(cycles per second), and it gets a doppler shift(different frequency from that which is transmitted) from the stationary environment, and a different doppler shift from the vehicle ahead which is moving. The system was following the car in front which moved around the van which was off to the side of the road. Likely the system did not "see" the van as it may still have been getting a stronger signal from the moving vehicle until the Tesla was too close to the van when it detects the van which was not entirely in the path.

I am a Radar instructor for police and there are many causes of interference which can give an improper reading when detecting a vehicles speed which the operator if following all of his tracking history will recognize and not take enforcement action. With the computers in our cars they do not have the benefit of the human recognition of when what "we" see is not what the car "sees".

Just a theory as to why i think the system did not work.