Video Shows Tesla Model S Autopilot Veering Towards Barrier Where Fatal Crash Occurred

You can imagine that in California there are lots of Tesla cars cruising the roads. The EVs are popular in many areas, but California happens to be one of the largest markets. Recently a man driving a Model X using Autopilot was involved in a fatal crash on a section of the 101 in Mountain View, California.

Tesla has admitted that Autopilot was engaged at the time of the accident, but the automaker maintains that the driver had been warned to take over "earlier in the drive" and noted that the driver had six seconds to avoid the barrier he hit with his hands never put on the wheel. Another Tesla owner has now published a video on YouTube that shows his Model S having an Autopilot issue in the same exact area where the fatal Model X crash occurred.

The video clearly shows Autopilot started steering the car directly into the divider where the highway splits and the driver having to manually take control and steer the car back into the lane. Speculation abounds as to what is causing this Autopilot activity.

You can clearly see in the video that the lane markings are confusing. Some believe that the Tesla Autopilot system is simply following the clearer of the lane markings, which just happens to lead directly to that concrete lane divider. Many of these folks put some of the blame for the autopilot issue on the state for not maintaining clear road markings

You can also clearly hear the audible warning in the video where the Tesla prompts the driver to put hands back on the steering wheel. It certainly appears from the video and what we know about the accident that it is plausible for Autopilot to have veered directly into the barrier even if some of the blame lies on the driver for not paying attention according to Tesla.

SOURCE: Reddit