Finally: Footage of a self-driving car, where it actually works. Spectacularly, in fact!
Video taken from the dash cam of a Tesla Model X in the Netherlands shows a car crash that happens on the freeway — and how Tesla's Autopilot feature stops the car quickly to avoid a collision.
The amazing part is the car predicted that the crash was about to occur ... and slowed down just before the collision.
In the video, the view from the Tesla car is seen, and seconds before one car hits another, Tesla's warning system beeps and the car slows to a stop.
The sorcery behind this Autopilot magic is attributed to an upgrade to the Autopilot system, which relies more on the car's radar, rather than its cameras, to predict collisions. Electrek reported that the radar bounces "underneath or around the vehicle in front of the Tesla Model S or X" enabling the car to track the road ahead.
The video was first shared by Hans Noordsij of the Netherlands, according to the car site, and the driver of the Tesla in the video reportedly confirmed the car started braking before he could do it himself. (Noordsij also reported that the people involved in the collision were not seriously injured.)
Technically, Teslas aren't really self-driving yet — there are even calls from California regulators for Tesla to call it something other than "Autopilot" — and drivers are still charged with the task of paying attention and taking control of the vehicle, if necessary.
There are two known fatal accidents allegedly involving Autopilot that have happened this year: A May 7 collision in Florida, where the driver of a Model S sedan was killed when the car did not detect a tractor-trailer crossing in front of it, and a Sept. 14 crash in China where a Tesla Model S collided with a road sweeper, killing the driver. There was another fatal crash involving Tesla in November, but the car maker stated that it didn't believe Autopilot was a factor.
Tesla has yet to confirm the footage to media outlets, however, Elon Musk must be pretty pleased with the car and video coverage: He sent out a tweet with a link to the Electrek story.
