Tesla's FSD Is Put to the Ultimate Test: "Oh My Gosh, This Is Scary"
A chair hidden behind another car gave Tesla's Full Self-Driving system little time to react. During a test set up for 50 mph, the driver watched it brake and swerve, then praised the escape.
That success was part of a wider test by Dirty Tesla , whose team put objects in the car's path to see how it would react. Some stayed in place, while others fell from a moving trailer.
The results gave the host plenty to cheer about, along with reasons to take over. Avoiding something already sitting in the road proved different from dealing with objects still bouncing across it.
Throughout the tests, the host described when he used the pedals or took control. Those details mattered most near the end, when one move briefly got more credit than it deserved.
A Late Reveal
Embedded media follows; please allow a moment to load.
For one test, a driver steered a Tesla ahead of the test car, then swerved to reveal a child mannequin. The following car had to respond after the lead car moved aside. The host reported clean dodges across several runs.
The team swapped the mannequin for a smaller chair and got another clean escape. The host said that run gave him more faith in how FSD would handle a sudden obstacle on the highway.
Next came the attempt set up for 50 mph. He said he let off the gas pedal and FSD took control. Then he spotted the chair through the lead car's window.
"Oh my gosh, this is scary," he said. The car braked hard and swerved clear, then backed up and made a U-turn that he could not explain.
Earlier chair tests hadn't all gone well. In a tight gap, the host reported contact with the chair and said he tried to brake but was too late.
Off the Trailer
The team then tried objects falling from a trailer, starting with a dog prop. The host reported almost hitting it, with little response while it was moving.
He compared that result with earlier tests in which objects had settled on the road before the Tesla reached them. Once still, he said, those obstacles were easier for the system to avoid.
Bright orange cones followed. One pass brought a small dodge, but the car hit a cone as it moved through the scattered objects.
On another attempt, the host announced that he had let off the gas pedal before the car reached the falling cones. Afterward, he described the result as having "just obliterated those cones."
Switching to tires brought mixed results. The first produced a dodge, though the host wanted more room; during later attempts, he took over rather than let the car continue toward them.
Hands Still Needed
Tesla describes FSD as a driver assistance system that requires active supervision. The company says pressing the brake or taking over the steering turns FSD off.
During the last tire test, the driver praised his own driving before the group joked that FSD had made the move. He then corrected the claim: "No, it was me. It was me."
If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.
