A recent incident involving a Tesla driver has raised concerns as they hit and tragically killed a dog while asserting that they were utilizing the Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta feature.
The FSD Beta is a driver-assist system designed to handle various driving tasks. However, Tesla explicitly requires drivers to maintain their hands on the steering wheel and remain attentive at all times.
As per Tesla's guidelines, the driver retains ultimate responsibility for the vehicle's operation, leading to thought-provoking questions about preventable accidents in such cases.
In this particular incident, the Tesla driver encountered a distressing situation when their vehicle struck a dog, coinciding with their claim of employing the FSD Beta.
The driver took to Twitter to share videos capturing the accident.
Graphic Content Warning: Please note that the video contains graphic content depicting the collision between the car and the dog.
Here's the front and rear view:
Upon reviewing the footage, it becomes apparent that the dog entered the road directly, although it was visible several seconds prior, running alongside the road.
The driver asserted that the Tesla FSD Beta system did not respond in any manner to the presence of the dog. They further explained that the slight jerk observed in the video after the collision occurred when they instinctively grabbed the steering wheel to assess the situation.
Additionally, the driver acknowledged that they had noticed the dog ahead of time but did not anticipate it crossing the road. They highlighted that country dogs typically do not exhibit such behavior, making it seemingly impractical to slow down for every dog encountered.
Following the unfortunate incident, the driver went back to examine the dog and confirmed its unfortunate demise. They expressed remorse and offered their apologies to the family affected by the loss.