3 ms·

Most likely scenarios: -Driver stopped himself due to medical reason (driver was 74). -Car's power-train issue caused it to stop. Less likely in dual-motor c

Most likely scenarios: -Driver stopped himself due to medical reason (driver was 74). -Car's power-train issue caused it to stop. Less likely in dual-motor configuration. Even less likely to happen suddenly. -Autopilot was on and driver fell asleep - Autopilot is programmed to come to a stop if driver input is not detected. Because it's Tesla there's great deal of attention given to Autopilot but in this circumstance, where car stopped completely, driver most likely have been unable to make the car go (for medical or technical reasons).

DennisP 5y ago
> driver fell asleep - Autopilot is programmed to come to a stop if driver input is not detected Hopefully it slows gently, signals a lane shift, and parks on the shoulder with hazards on, rather than slamming on brakes in the middle of the highway with cars close behind.
- antattack 5y ago
  Of course, Autopilot gives driver visual and audio warnings before stopping, and it takes a while to activate. It does so because it's a Level 2 system and requires driver's supervision. In absence of supervision it has to stop as it's not autonomous.
  - DennisP 5y ago
    GM Supercruise pulls over as I described: https://gmauthority.com/blog/2016/11/gm-super-cruise-technology-will-pull-the-vehicle-over-if-the-driver-is-unresponsive/ https://gmauthority.com/blog/2016/11/gm-super-cruise-technol... Tesla brakes gradually and turns on hazard lights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBIKikBmdN8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBIKikBmdN8 As common sense suggests, a sleeping driver does not cause a Tesla to slam on its brakes in the middle of high-speed traffic. That is not the cause of this accident.
whiplash451 5y ago
What makes you rule out an issue with the AI?
- antattack 5y ago
  The system is not autonomous so it requires driver's supervision. Autopilot slowing down can be quickly overridden with a gas pedal, yet the car came to a complete stop.
  - whiplash451 5y ago
    What leads you to think that the AI could not bring the car to a complete & abrupt stop?
    - antattack 5y ago
      Because the car is not autonomous. Driver has full control of the car and can override Autopilot at any time, especially such obvious maneuver as slowing down. In this case, there's no evidence to even suggest it was an abrupt stop.
      - whiplash451 5y ago
        > In this case, there's no evidence to even suggest it was an abrupt stop. That's exactly what happened based on this article, assuming we agree that "slam on the break" means an abrupt stop. "At first, the Independence Police Department speculated that a mechanical issue caused the Tesla to lose power, but officials are now saying they are unsure what made the vehicle stop unexpectedly [...] Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched a preliminary investigation into Tesla after hundreds of owners reported that their vehicles would sometimes unexpectedly slam on the brakes for no apparent reason. According to the agency, these incidents, known as "phantom braking," sometimes happened at highway speeds. Sudden braking occurred when owners had switched on cruise control or Autopilot, a system that automatically brakes, steers, and accelerates to aid with highway driving. NHTSA is investigating the phenomenon in Model Y and Model 3 vehicles from the 2021 and 2022 model years. Owners of 2019 and 2020 vehicles have also complained to NHTSA about phantom braking."

DennisP 5y ago

> driver fell asleep - Autopilot is programmed to come to a stop if driver input is not detected Hopefully it slows gently, signals a lane shift, and parks on the shoulder with hazards on, rather than slamming on brakes in the middle of the highway with cars close behind.

antattack 5y ago
Of course, Autopilot gives driver visual and audio warnings before stopping, and it takes a while to activate. It does so because it's a Level 2 system and requires driver's supervision. In absence of supervision it has to stop as it's not autonomous.
- DennisP 5y ago
  GM Supercruise pulls over as I described: https://gmauthority.com/blog/2016/11/gm-super-cruise-technology-will-pull-the-vehicle-over-if-the-driver-is-unresponsive/ https://gmauthority.com/blog/2016/11/gm-super-cruise-technol... Tesla brakes gradually and turns on hazard lights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBIKikBmdN8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBIKikBmdN8 As common sense suggests, a sleeping driver does not cause a Tesla to slam on its brakes in the middle of high-speed traffic. That is not the cause of this accident.

whiplash451 5y ago

What makes you rule out an issue with the AI?

antattack 5y ago
The system is not autonomous so it requires driver's supervision. Autopilot slowing down can be quickly overridden with a gas pedal, yet the car came to a complete stop.
- whiplash451 5y ago
  What leads you to think that the AI could not bring the car to a complete & abrupt stop?
  - antattack 5y ago
    Because the car is not autonomous. Driver has full control of the car and can override Autopilot at any time, especially such obvious maneuver as slowing down. In this case, there's no evidence to even suggest it was an abrupt stop.
    - whiplash451 5y ago
      > In this case, there's no evidence to even suggest it was an abrupt stop. That's exactly what happened based on this article, assuming we agree that "slam on the break" means an abrupt stop. "At first, the Independence Police Department speculated that a mechanical issue caused the Tesla to lose power, but officials are now saying they are unsure what made the vehicle stop unexpectedly [...] Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched a preliminary investigation into Tesla after hundreds of owners reported that their vehicles would sometimes unexpectedly slam on the brakes for no apparent reason. According to the agency, these incidents, known as "phantom braking," sometimes happened at highway speeds. Sudden braking occurred when owners had switched on cruise control or Autopilot, a system that automatically brakes, steers, and accelerates to aid with highway driving. NHTSA is investigating the phenomenon in Model Y and Model 3 vehicles from the 2021 and 2022 model years. Owners of 2019 and 2020 vehicles have also complained to NHTSA about phantom braking."