A Tesla driver in Michigan claimed that her car was in “self-driving mode” when she crashed into a tree.
As usual, it is important to take these claims with a grain of salt until the data is collected.
The accident happened on Sunday evening near Big Rapids.
A 41-year-old female from Hudsonville was driving a Tesla heading west on M-20 when, according to the police report, she claimed she put her car in “self-driving mode.”
She reportedly told the police (via local news):
She told deputies that’s when the car pulled to the right and went off the road, struck a tree and rolled several times.
The woman was the only one in the car, and she was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
Electrek contacted the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Department for more details about the claim that the Tesla was in “self-driving mode.” We will update the article if we get a response.
It’s important to note that while Tesla sells a package called “Full Self-Driving” on its vehicles, there’s currently no “self-driving mode” on Tesla vehicles.
The closest thing would be the Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta, which automatically performs all the tasks related to driving, but it requires driver monitoring at all times. The responsibility falls on the driver to keep their hands on the steering wheel and pay attention to the road.
Because it requires driver attention at all times, it is still considered a level 2 driver assist system, like most traffic-aware cruise control and lane-keeping systems.
Ever since Tesla released Autopilot, its first level 2 driver assist system, drivers have often blamed accidents on it.