Tesla Autopilot Saves Driver from a Flying Wheel, Caught on TeslaCam
A recent viral video caught on TeslaCam has showcased the remarkable abilities of Tesla’s Autopilot system. In the video, a Tesla driver claims that Autopilot tried to avoid a wheel that was flying off a car that crashed in front of the Tesla vehicle.
The incident took place on a highway when the Tesla driver was following a car in the next lane that collided with a pickup truck, causing a rogue wheel to detach and fly several feet into the air.
The wheel then headed towards the Tesla vehicle, which swerved slightly to the right to avoid it. The Tesla driver claims that it was the Autopilot system that did the maneuver to avoid the wheel.
TeslaCam is Tesla’s integrated dashcam system that uses its Autopilot cameras to record the vehicle’s surroundings in the event of an accident.
Witnessed and recorded the most INSANE car crash yesterday, you can see Autopilot also swerve and avoid the rouge tire for me $TSLA pic.twitter.com/csMh2nbRNX
— Anoop (@Anoop_Khatra) March 25, 2023
Over the years, TeslaCam has caught some wild situations on video, even helping the police arrest criminals. In some cases, it has even helped showcase some of Tesla’s safety features, like the driver-assist features powered by Autopilot.
While there have been doubts about the system’s ability to avoid smaller objects on the road like in this situation, Tesla has features powered by Autopilot that are designed to either avoid crashes or reduce the impact of a collision, like Automatic Emergency Braking.
It is important to note that Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving package only involve driver-assist features that always require the driver to be attentive and ready to take control at all times. They are not fully autonomous and are not intended to be used without paying attention.
In the top comment on the viral video, a Model 3 owner claimed that their vehicle running Autopilot braked and swerved to avoid road debris, which they didn’t even see in the dark until the car was already swerving around it. They remarked that even if it works only some of the time, it’s way better than none of the time.
In conclusion, this incident showcases the impressive abilities of Tesla’s Autopilot system and how it can potentially save drivers from dangerous situations. While it is important to remember that the driver must always remain attentive and ready to take control, it is reassuring to know that Autopilot can provide an extra layer of safety in unexpected situations.