On Thanksgiving Day in the US, the bustling San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Tunnel saw an unfortunate incident that involved eight cars. Although nine people were injured, surveillance footage of the accident shows how it happened and it’s important to learn from it.
The footage showed that the Tesla Model S, which reportedly had Full Self-Driving active, signalled a lane change, moved to the fast lane, and then suddenly stopped without any car or obstacle in front of it. The incident caused some delays in traffic and as a result, nine people needed medical attention.
Awkwardly, a few hours before the incident, the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, announced on Twitter that the FSD Beta feature was available to anyone in North America who paid the $15,000 fee for the option. The technology is still in beta and it’s a massive step towards the future of transportation which is autonomous driving.
The footage of the incident can be seen in the tweet below:
But let’s put things into perspective, Tesla has sold over 1 million electric vehicles and millions more people have driven them safely. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating the incident, as it does with any accident involving a new technology like this and Tesla is fully cooperating.
Tesla also emphasizes that Full Self-Driving (FSD) is a driver-assist system and that it requires active driver supervision.
Self-driving cars, also known as autonomous vehicles, have been a hot topic in the automotive industry for quite some time now. These vehicles have the potential to revolutionize the way we travel, making our commutes more efficient and more convenient.
Autonomous cars have the potential to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion, increase accessibility for those who can’t drive, and reduce emissions. But, as with any new technology, there are also potential downsides to consider. Downsides include cost, job loss, privacy, and ethical concerns regarding how the cars make decisions in life-or-death situations.
With advanced sensors, cameras, and software to detect and respond to traffic and other hazards, one of the biggest advantages spoken about with autonomous cars is the safety aspect – which will apparently reduce the number of accidents on the road. But are we being too optimistic? This recent accident stands as an example of why maybe safety isn’t as reliable as we may have thought…
As with any new technology, we may see some hiccups along the way, but that’s to be expected. What’s important is that we continue to invest in and improve upon this technology for a safer and more convenient future for everyone on the road.
Are you ready for the future of cars powered by AI? Let us know in the comments!
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