Tesla Inc. TSLA researcher Troy Teslike on Sunday reflected on the recent accident where a Cybertruck reportedly collided with a light pole when full self-driving driver assistance technology was deployed, concluding that the technology doesn’t seem ready for autonomous operation yet.
What Happened: Teslike, who keeps a tab on Tesla deliveries and production, noted that it was rainy and dark during the crash.
“Interestingly, Teslas don't use a dedicated rain sensor, which is standard in most modern cars and typically costs around $10,” the researcher wrote while adding that detecting rain through cameras is not easy.
“The system processes real-time visual data to estimate rainfall and adjust the wipers, all while the FSD computer manages complex tasks like object detection and navigation. That's a significant workload,” he wrote while adding that he wonders whether a dedicated rain sensor might have helped in the situation. “Either way, FSD doesn’t seem ready for driverless operation yet.”
Teslike added that FSD seems to have trouble seeing road markings at night and can’t reliably detect solid objects like poles. “More sensors are needed,” he opined.
Why It Matters: The accident over the weekend was flagged by Jonathan Challinger, a Florida-based software engineer.
"Soooooo my Tesla Cybertruck crashed into a curb and then a light post on v13.2.4," Challinger wrote on social media platform X on Sunday.
The vehicle crashed into a curb and a light post and did not attempt to slow down or turn off the lane until it hit the curb, Challinger said. As per the coordinates shared by the engineer, the accident occurred in Nevada.
In October, the NHTSA also opened an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles following reports of four crashes in which FSD was engaged.
The regulator then said that it had identified four crash reports in which a Tesla experienced a crash after entering an area of "reduced roadway visibility" with FSD engaged. The reduced visibility, the regulator said, was caused by sun glare, fog, or airborne dust.
In one of the crashes, the vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian, the regulator added.
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Photo courtesy: Tesla
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