This troubling crash took place on a winding road and according to the driver, the car’s Autopilot system was to blame. However, without a proper investigation into what happened, we can’t be 100% certain that the driver didn’t do something wrong.
Let’s begin by analyzing what we have: A 2018 Tesla Model X with the Autopilot system allegedly engaged while driving on a winding road. As it approaches an S bend, the car appears slow to react and nearly drives off the road, which could have ended tragically given the landscape.
As per the description of the video, the driver “had hands on the wheel the whole time and was very engaged (because of the mountain terrain), corrected a wrong turn the Autopilot was going before the crash. After the last corner, fighting the control over from the accelerating Autopilot resulted in crash.”
Thankfully, the driver and all the passengers weren’t harmed, despite the car eventually slamming into the side of the road.
So choppy English aside, the description alleges that the driver was forced to correct what the Autopilot was doing. While we can neither confirm nor deny that was actually the case, we do find it curious that prior to the S bend, the car begins to drift over the yellow markings in the middle of the road – for the first time since the beginning of the clip.
This type of behavior might indicate that the Autopilot system could have disengaged, which according to Tesla can happen if the driver applies pressure to the steering wheel or brake pedal.
What do you think happened?