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Tesla Autopilot avoids 45mph T-bone accident on dark, stormy night [video]

14 points by hoag 11y ago

greglindahl 11y ago
I'm really looking forward to this tech -- I recently was at fault in a highway chain-reaction accident where I was trying to merge right, and looked over my right shoulder at exactly the time when the car in front of me stood on his brakes. WHAM! With collision avoidance, which many carmakers are shipping in high-end cars, I would have safely stopped. (The car behind me, fortunately, had allowed more distance and was looking ahead -- and didn't hit me.) This video is quite similar; it's not showing anything unique to Tesla, but it does show the promise of systems that are not subject to human attention FAIL.
- hoag 11y ago
  Totally agreed. That's why I really hope sluggish legislation doesn't get in the way of expediting the deployment of fully autonomous vehicles, and why I'm doing what I can to write about these issues as much as possible. I'm sorry to hear about your accident, but I'm glad (it sounds like?) you were (all?) ok. As a side tip, if only as an interim solution until you get a car with some sort of accident-avoidance features, may I suggest a tip for your mirrors to eliminate your blind spots? Your side mirrors should be used ONLY for viewing cars to your sides, while your rear mirror ONLY should view cars behind you. To test that it works, a car should slightly overlap from your rear mirror, into your side mirrors, and then into your peripheral vision. If your side mirrors are largely duplicating your rear mirror, then they are not set up correctly. Proof that it is possible -- necessary! -- to set your mirrors up like this and fully eliminate blind spots is that certain cars (like convertibles with the top up, or any car with unusually large/wide C-pillars) make it impossible to see over your shoulder, and require that you set up your mirrors correctly. Just a little tip, and I hope it helps! :)
  - greglindahl 11y ago
    100% of the driving advice I've ever gotten is to always look over your shoulder before moving over, no matter what a glance in the mirror says. In all fairness, had I not been too close to the car in front of me, that glance would not have led to an accident. I do have my mirrors adjusted as you suggest. From my experience with rental cars, I suspect that you and I are the only people in the world who do it that way.
    - hoag 11y ago
      I know, same. Unfortunately most of the advice we get in the US is from asshats who don't know proper driving technique. Regardless, the fact is that in certain cars, looking over your shoulder is totally futile anyway; accordingly, you'd best have an alternative solution!
- lewisl9029 11y ago
  Stories like this is exactly why I can't bring myself to start driving. I simply cannot fool myself into believing that I could somehow operate a piece of heavy machinery traveling at often lethal speeds without eventually hurting myself or someone else through inexperience, negligence or fatigue. Fully autonomous cars are the only cars I'd ever consider "driving" myself.
goldenkey 11y ago
It avoided a bad driver. But let's not forget that that the driver who turned without a glance is a real piece of garbage. It's unfortunate that they get the benefit of Tesla's autopilot, no consequences for them. Even when their selfish dissonance could have killed or maimed fellow citizens.
- hoag 11y ago
  Sure. But unfortunately, here in the US, we have especially bad drivers. And even great drivers can make mistakes or get distracted. I have a virtually untarnished driving record, yet I'd still welcome such added protection. After all, pilots have enjoyed such systems for decades.
  - goldenkey 11y ago
    I would welcome the protection as well. I still feel that the other driver needs a good punishment though, without consequence, there is no behavioral therapy -- that idiot will continue to do their shenanigans and when the oncoming lane has a normal car instead of a Tesla, people will die. Bad driving is really an oversimplification of the fact that someone decided to take a 2 ton vehicle, and enter a lane of traffic without even looking. That's more akin to malice or shifting responsibility than ignorance. It is also very very dumb though, because the odds that there is a car in the other lane that even has enough time to stop is not a guarantee. So it's not only selfish but also dumb.
    - hoag 11y ago
      Sure, fair enough. Agreed.

14 points by hoag 11y ago

I'm really looking forward to this tech -- I recently was at fault in a highway chain-reaction accident where I was trying to merge right, and looked over my right shoulder at exactly the time when the car in front of me stood on his brakes. WHAM! With collision avoidance, which many carmakers are shipping in high-end cars, I would have safely stopped. (The car behind me, fortunately, had allowed more distance and was looking ahead -- and didn't hit me.) This video is quite similar; it's not showing anything unique to Tesla, but it does show the promise of systems that are not subject to human attention FAIL.

hoag 11y ago
Totally agreed. That's why I really hope sluggish legislation doesn't get in the way of expediting the deployment of fully autonomous vehicles, and why I'm doing what I can to write about these issues as much as possible. I'm sorry to hear about your accident, but I'm glad (it sounds like?) you were (all?) ok. As a side tip, if only as an interim solution until you get a car with some sort of accident-avoidance features, may I suggest a tip for your mirrors to eliminate your blind spots? Your side mirrors should be used ONLY for viewing cars to your sides, while your rear mirror ONLY should view cars behind you. To test that it works, a car should slightly overlap from your rear mirror, into your side mirrors, and then into your peripheral vision. If your side mirrors are largely duplicating your rear mirror, then they are not set up correctly. Proof that it is possible -- necessary! -- to set your mirrors up like this and fully eliminate blind spots is that certain cars (like convertibles with the top up, or any car with unusually large/wide C-pillars) make it impossible to see over your shoulder, and require that you set up your mirrors correctly. Just a little tip, and I hope it helps! :)
- greglindahl 11y ago
  100% of the driving advice I've ever gotten is to always look over your shoulder before moving over, no matter what a glance in the mirror says. In all fairness, had I not been too close to the car in front of me, that glance would not have led to an accident. I do have my mirrors adjusted as you suggest. From my experience with rental cars, I suspect that you and I are the only people in the world who do it that way.
  - hoag 11y ago
    I know, same. Unfortunately most of the advice we get in the US is from asshats who don't know proper driving technique. Regardless, the fact is that in certain cars, looking over your shoulder is totally futile anyway; accordingly, you'd best have an alternative solution!
lewisl9029 11y ago
Stories like this is exactly why I can't bring myself to start driving. I simply cannot fool myself into believing that I could somehow operate a piece of heavy machinery traveling at often lethal speeds without eventually hurting myself or someone else through inexperience, negligence or fatigue. Fully autonomous cars are the only cars I'd ever consider "driving" myself.

goldenkey 11y ago

It avoided a bad driver. But let's not forget that that the driver who turned without a glance is a real piece of garbage. It's unfortunate that they get the benefit of Tesla's autopilot, no consequences for them. Even when their selfish dissonance could have killed or maimed fellow citizens.

hoag 11y ago
Sure. But unfortunately, here in the US, we have especially bad drivers. And even great drivers can make mistakes or get distracted. I have a virtually untarnished driving record, yet I'd still welcome such added protection. After all, pilots have enjoyed such systems for decades.
- goldenkey 11y ago
  I would welcome the protection as well. I still feel that the other driver needs a good punishment though, without consequence, there is no behavioral therapy -- that idiot will continue to do their shenanigans and when the oncoming lane has a normal car instead of a Tesla, people will die. Bad driving is really an oversimplification of the fact that someone decided to take a 2 ton vehicle, and enter a lane of traffic without even looking. That's more akin to malice or shifting responsibility than ignorance. It is also very very dumb though, because the odds that there is a car in the other lane that even has enough time to stop is not a guarantee. So it's not only selfish but also dumb.
  - hoag 11y ago
    Sure, fair enough. Agreed.