https://twitter.com/LBPD_PIO_45/status/1001541486146547717/
Bad news for Tesla fanboys: This morning a Tesla slammed into a parked police SUV while in autopilot mode in Laguna Beach, California – home to $1mm 500-sq. foot cottages. Sadly, this is not the first Tesla autopilot crash in recent memory and Tesla’s well-documented safeguards for Autopilot, in this instance, clearly didn’t work.
I’ve driven the Laguna Beach Canyon Road before – It’s actually the only real way in and out of Laguna Beach from the 5 Freeway in Orange County. Honestly, it’s an asinine road to enable autopilot on – There are all sorts of twists and turns on a mild grade through a canyon, with cars parked on both sides pretty close to traffic. I’m pretty sure I was white knuckling hard the first time I drove it, so no way I’d trust a computer to navigate it.
Asked about Tuesday’s crash, Tesla said, “When using Autopilot, drivers are continuously reminded of their responsibility to keep their hands on the wheel and maintain control of the vehicle at all times. Tesla has always been clear that Autopilot doesn’t make the car impervious to all accidents.”
Here’s an interesting theory about what might be causing Tesla’s to crash in autopilot mode.