Recently, another accident occurred in which a Full Self-Driving (FSD) software-equipped Tesla (TSLA, Financial) hit a deer, drawing attention to the technology's drawbacks. The event happened on a two-lane road in the evening when the roads were not very busy with traffic. The dashcam shows that the same car with FSD did not see the deer on the road or react in any way and ran into the animal.
The car's FSD mode, which uses only the cameras to handle obstacles and pedestrians, did not provide correct avoidance actions or warnings. This accident raises questions about the adequacy of Tesla's camera-based solution over those that require other elements, such as radar or LiDAR.
Paul S, the driver, was asked to share his ordeal and his opinion on social media platforms, where he noted that although the elk managed to hit the car well enough to have its head settle on the hood without penetrating through the windscreen, he would have been dead if the vehicle was not constructed well. But he said they had a lot of damage to the car, such as the hood moving out of position, the cracked windshield, and other problems that may exist beneath the surface.
This has contributed to the negative perception of Tesla's FSD system, which is attributed to regulators' pressure and accidents that have been reported lately, of which one was fatal earlier this year. It has been pointed out that by not incorporating extra sensing such as LiDAR, Tesla could endanger the system's performance where the environment is intricate.
Tesla's strategy, probably influenced by costs and the idea that visual information alone is sufficient, differs from most rivals, which deploy denser suites of sensors to improve vehicle sophistication and safety. The latest mishap results from controversies surrounding the efficiency and safety of self-driving cars from the American electric automobile company Tesla.
