Tesla Crash in Taiwan Could Have Been Autopilot Failure

Autopilot failure

TAIWAN- The mirror.co.uk writes that a crash took place in Taiwan this week involving a Tesla and a truck. The incident occurred on National Highway 1 when the Tesla Model 3 struck the roof of a truck that had overturned on the highway. The collision was caught on camera, and images show the Tesla had sustained severe damage.

Reports state that the accident appears to have been a problem with the car’s autopilot system, although it is not clear whether the system was in use at the time. The driver, identified as a 53-year-old man, claims that he did have the system on when his vehicle crashed into the disabled truck. The driver stated that he thought the system would recognize the obstacle and slow down, but that it continued full speed towards the truck.

It appears that the truck, which was a delivery vehicle, stopped on its side shortly before the crash. The man operating the truck had exited the vehicle and walked up the road to attempt to warn drivers of the obstacle. As the Tesla approached the overturned car, it did not appear to slow down, but instead was traveling at around 70 miles per hour as it barreled towards the top of the larger vehicle.

The video shows smoke rising from under the Tesla, which seems to suggest that at the very last moment, the driver may have slammed on his brakes. However, data indicates that even at 60 miles per hour, the Tesla would have required 113 feet to come to a stop.

Tesla continues to state that its autopilot system is not intended to make its vehicles function as driverless cars.