VIDEO: Tesla Autopilot “predicts” highway accident before it happens, applies brakes before driver could

Tesla’s Autopilot system has attracted a lot of controversy in recent months but since then, the company has introduced several software and hardware updates in an attempt to make its vehicles even more capable and more importantly, safer.

This 45-second video of an accident on the highway in the Netherlands demonstrates the enhancements Tesla have done. In it, we can clearly hear the Autopilot’s Forward Collision Warning beeping suddenly for no apparent reason.

All becomes clear when a fraction of a second later, the vehicle in front of the Model X crashes into an SUV. From where the Tesla driver was seated, the SUV wasn’t clearly visible (or the driver wasn’t looking that far ahead) but apparently it was for the Autopilot’s radar.

What’s impressive about the Autopilot system in this incident is the fact that the Forward Collision Warning alert came on before the lead vehicle even applied the brakes, indicating that the Autopilot wasn’t just locked on to the vehicle ahead of it (which didn’t appear to apply its brakes before crashing) to plan its path, but also the SUV in front of it.

VIDEO: Tesla Autopilot “predicts” highway accident before it happens, applies brakes before driver could

The driver of the Tesla also reported that the system started braking before he could apply the brakes himself, according to Hans Noordsij, the man who reported the video. He added that everyone involved in the accident “turned out to be OK” despite the fact that the SUV rolled over.

In September, Tesla released the Autopilot 8.0 update, which places a greater reliance on radar, rather than on cameras as it has done before. The update is applicable for all Model S and Model X cars built starting October 2014.

More recently, the company announced that all its future electric vehicles will be equipped with the company’s new-generation full self-driving hardware, which will be able to offer up to Level 5 autonomy over time via over-the-air updates, starting with Autopilot 8.1.

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Gerard Lye

Originating from the corporate world with a background in finance and economics, Gerard’s strong love for cars led him to take the plunge into the automotive media industry. It was only then did he realise that there are more things to a car than just horsepower count.

 

Comments

  • alldisc on Dec 28, 2016 at 4:48 pm

    proper gap kept from behind. 2 seconds. giving sufficient distance to braking safely. in malaysia, the myvi or vios is right behind your rear bumper. result – pile up.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 75 Thumb down 3
    • Vios sucks on Dec 28, 2016 at 5:32 pm

      101% agreed

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 22 Thumb down 2
    • Carbon on Dec 28, 2016 at 6:36 pm

      If you don’t want myvi/vios right behind your bumper :
      1. Drive faster.
      2. Get the eff off.

      Slow drivers cause accidents more than fast drivers.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 63
      • Kurukuru on Dec 28, 2016 at 7:30 pm

        Just drive within speed limit..

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 3
      • Let the myvis and Vios tail gate you. If anything happens, it’s their ncd that’ll be gone. You just claim from these losers, at least they’ll learn their lesson.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 2
      • eventhough i not driving myvi/vios but a better car,
        i fully agree with your statement

        the only reason car is right behind you is you drive slow and not giving way. for whatever reason if faster car come, just give way la it’s only for less than 10 secs. if not the they have to cut you from left which is alot dangerous

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 7
        • There is no problem in giving way. The problem is not able to giveway due to heavy traffic on the left lane while we overtaking it. Some tailgater keep on flashing you even though you can’t give way and forcing you to driver faster while you already at 120-130km/h on the fast lane (overtake). These type of drivers are truly idiot I would say.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 0
          • If you are driving in Thailand highways dont do this kind of things. In fact i noticed driver in Thailand are more polite..they dont tailgate and flash you high beam unnecessarily if they to overtake you when they are fast..they usually give signal to change to left lane to overtake or least they can do they just wait until you give your way..i think because everybody may have gun nobody want to intimidate anyone..

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
      • 12yrsold on Dec 29, 2016 at 9:34 am

        You are right Carbon if the driver is driving slow in a fast lane. But i think alldisc is referring to those tailgater who like to intimidate new/lady driver.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 1
    • svasti astu on Dec 29, 2016 at 8:43 am

      Install anti-tailgating laser on your car’s backside.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
    • Logout on Dec 29, 2016 at 9:42 am

      boy, if they often do tat, they will do so with any car. dun bring narrow mindset to prime technology topic

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Zoom Zoom on Dec 29, 2016 at 9:50 am

      Really true. i also notice most cars that like to tailgate are vios/myvi.. don’t know why…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
    • Nizzan on Dec 29, 2016 at 10:14 am

      You forget to mention Saga BLM and Satria Neo.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
  • Not bad. Not bad at all.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
  • Very impressive!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 1
  • rosdi on Dec 28, 2016 at 6:02 pm

    Meh… tesla should have said something like this… “Impact in 5… 4… 3…”

    THEN I will be impressed!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 14
  • heybadigol (Member) on Dec 28, 2016 at 9:42 pm

    Hope the Tesla has some sort of warning to cars behind it. To warn them the Tesla is about to brake hard. Considering that humans may not be able to react as fast as software.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • wahaha on Dec 28, 2016 at 11:06 pm

    yea i am 100% sure there is no way to add the sound into video afterwards

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Duh…if the red car in front is tesla then it’s a credit to tesla. In this case tesla is behind there’d car n giving ample time n notice ….marketing gimmick. Tesla could not even see a white truck in front n smash into the truck killling the driver in earlier accident .!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 3
  • marieta on Dec 29, 2016 at 10:10 am

    This self drive thing available for Malaysian market ke meh? nanti I beli the car but this function omitted rugi la, dah la kena bayar mahal.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
  • Depending on situation and autonomous driving could do more harm. Sometimes its better to accelerate instead of braking and resulted in pile up.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • Uncle on Dec 29, 2016 at 11:37 am

    Being too slow causes accidents. Being too fast causes deaths. Seems perfectly fine to go with automated drivers that keep to the limits.

    Funny thing for Msia: No AI can save you from pure idiots who not only flout the laws, but do not know how to drive. But maybe it could predict these bummers better? Who knows?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Bernard on Jan 03, 2017 at 7:37 pm

    Listen to the language and you know it’s an advanced country….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
 

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