This is the terrifying moment a self-driving Tesla in California nearly blew up a stop sign and crashed into oncoming traffic.
The images were taken on Thursday by The Dawn Project founder Dan O’Dowd while in the car with Tesla inventor Ross Gerber in Santa Barbara.
The two men were holding a meeting to discuss safety issues with Tesla’s self-driving feature.
The video shows the Tesla Model S driving down a two-lane highway, navigating windy roads and obstacles before nearly colliding with a white SUV at an intersection.
“I braked,” Gerber said. “I wasn’t going to wait and find out, because I saw the two cars go head-to-head, and I wasn’t going to test that one.”
The incident comes months after a self-driving Tesla caused a pile-up of eight cars on a Bay Area bridge, injuring nine people, including a two-year-old child.
Shocking video shows the moment a self-driving Tesla in Santa Barbara, California blew up a stop sign and nearly crashed into another car on the road
In the minute-long video, the Tesla at one point also narrowly avoids a collision with a garbage truck backing up on the narrow roadway.
The vehicle hesitates behind the truck before Gerber says he has taken control.
“I disengaged,” Gerber said, adding that he chose to drive around a garbage truck.
The video continues with the Tesla speeding down the dual carriageway at 35 miles per hour before a stop sign appears.
The car does not appear to slow as it approaches the busy area and passes the stop sign as another car, an Audi SUV, crosses the intersection.
Gerber, realizing the car might not stop, disengages once more and slams his foot on the brake before hitting the SUV, which appears to be honking a la Tesla.
“Here we go,” Gerber said after disengaging.
‘Was it you braking?’ O’Dowd asks while Gerber confirms.
Another passenger in the car can be heard saying that he doesn’t think he has the stomach to handle the test drives of the self-driving feature.
‘You are not sure? You just survived,” Gerber replies.
He goes on to add that drivers should always be engaged in driving.
“No, I told you, humans have to be engaged. It’s not like I’m going to run over a car… Even if it stopped, I don’t care. That’s not the goal,” Gerber said.
In the minute-long video, the Tesla at one point also narrowly avoids a collision with a garbage truck reversing on the narrow roadway
The video continues with the Tesla speeding down the dual carriageway at 35 miles per hour before a stop sign appears. The car doesn’t seem to be slowing down
Tesla has faced serious safety issues in the past, including a major pile-up in January stemming from the self-driving feature.
Highway surveillance footage shows a Tesla Model S vehicle in self-driving mode changing lanes and coming to a sudden stop, causing an eight-vehicle crash.
Nine people, including a two-year-old child, were among those injured in the pileup that blocked traffic on the Bay Bridge for more than an hour.
Just hours before the accident, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had triumphantly announced that Tesla’s “fully self-driving” capability was available in North America, congratulating Tesla employees on a “major milestone”.
Freeway footage from the San Francisco Bay Bridge shows a Tesla Model S vehicle changing lanes and coming to a sudden stop, causing an eight-vehicle crash in January
Nine people, including a two-year-old child, were among those injured in the pileup that blocked traffic on the bridge for more than an hour
In January, Tesla CEO Elon Musk (pictured) triumphantly announced that Tesla’s “fully self-driving” capability was available in North America.
The most common complaint among Tesla users with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the car’s inability to stop at intersections.
More recently, in May, a Twitter user posted a video of his Tesla crossing a crosswalk with a pedestrian despite recognizing the person in his viewfinder.
The most common complaint among Tesla users with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the car’s inability to stop at intersections.
In February, NHTSA concerns prompted the recall of more than 350,000 vehicles.
