Though Tesla’s autonomous features have garnered negative attention due to their alleged involvement in some crashes, the same features have also been saving lives. Even when the Tesla car is not in Autopilot mode, the system keeps an eye on the surroundings to avoid potential accidents. A new video posted by Kyle Conner shows Tesla Model X’s Automatic Emergency Braking System (AEBS) jumping into action to prevent a classic highway crash situation.
Radar processing technology comes to the rescue
Tesla vehicles come with a radar processing technology that can see ahead of the vehicle in front of you. It means the system can see two vehicles ahead of you. In this case, a driver swerves over to get a highway exit at the last minute. The SUV right behind it is on the brakes, which caused the Model X behind the SUV to react in a short time.
The sensors and radar determined that the vehicle that Model X driver couldn’t see was taking a dangerous highway exit and an accident was imminent. The Tesla vehicle instantly sounded an alarm and applied the brakes. The Model X driver was alert enough to swerve to the right while the AEBS was activated to avoid rear-ending the SUV in front.
Another remarkable thing here is how the Model X adapted to the driver swerving, without locking up and spinning. All this while the Autopilot wasn’t engaged. In September, Tesla released its version 8.0 software update. It included a new radar processing technology that could track two vehicles ahead of you on the road.
The radar signal can bounce around or underneath the vehicle in front of the Tesla Model X or Model S to see things that the driver can’t because the vehicle in front is obstructing the view, reports Electrek.
Florida Model S owner thanks Tesla for saving him
This is not the first video of Tesla’s advanced autonomous features helping prevent accidents. Such instances remind us how autonomous driving is making cars safer. In another case, a Florida-based Model S owner posted on the Tesla Motors Club forum that the car engaged the Automatic Emergency Braking System (AEBS) to prevent a potential accident that he could not see.
The Model S owner said he was on his daily commute on I-75 with the Autopilot engaged. The Model S was following a large truck that obstructed his view of the car ahead, but the radar and sensors were registering the car in front of the truck. Suddenly, he was startled when full emergency braking was activated on his car while the lead truck was still moving at the normal speed.
A split second later, the truck in front of Model S veered into the shoulder to avoid hitting the car in front of it, which had stopped for road debris. The Florida driver said it was unlikely he would have stopped in time had he been driving manually.
