Florida based Tesla Cybertruck owner Jonathan Challinger notified Tesla fans about a very scary incident, which tried to kill him while he was in the Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode. The incident has once more brought up doubts about the safety of Elon Musk's self-driving technology. To his shock, as Challinger narrated on Twitter, his Cybertruck under the control of FSD appeared to make a very unfortunate turn nearly off the drivespace. It met the curb and hit a nearby light post. Challinger's luck barely shone, however, as he was able to walk away from the collision without much physical injury, and the incident ignited fears about the trustworthiness of Tesla's self-driving system. As critics call for answers, Tesla and Musk now stand in the limelight.
Jonathan Challinger discusses Cybertruck Full Self-Driving failure and life-threatening experience
Challinger told the whole world about the life-threatening moment through the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) when his Cybertruck’s Full Self-Driving feature didn’t work as it should have. He said the truck didn’t merge out of a lane that was ending, even though plenty of space was left for merging into the other lane. Instead of slowing down or correcting its course, the truck went forward straight, heading for a curb and the light post. This is how Challinger summarized it:
"It failed to merge out of a lane that was ending (there was no one on my left) and made no attempt to slow down or turn until it had already hit the curb." Even though he credited FSD safety features for shielding him from getting wounded, Challinger also gave a stern warning for other FSD users:
"Big fail on my part, obviously. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Pay attention. It can happen."
Challinger's experience highlights concerns about Tesla's FSD
Recalling the incident, Challinger admitted that his overconfidence in Tesla's FSD caused him to become lax. It was his error in not staying alert during technology intervention. He now deeply regrets depending so much on FSD while lacking vigilance and wants to use this as a learning experience for others. The crash has further put to rest not only him but also the ongoing debates as to whether Tesla's full self-driving system is at a point where it is expected to perform efficiently. Such incidents, amidst all of Musk's self-assurance that FSD is going to be the ultimate anticipator of driving as we know it, only kick up more arguments against the system's suitability for common practice.
Tesla FSD technology under scrutiny after Challinger's crash
Challinger's crash has poured fresh fuel on an existing flame of concerns pertaining to Tesla's FSD technologies. While Musk has been insisting that Full Self-Driving will reshape the driving industry, lots of other complaints show the systems are acting in unexpected ways. In particular, there are reports of Tesla owners who have had text-book sudden braking, erratic driving maneuverability, or incorrect lane changes. While these are clear indications for major bugs, one big disadvantage is it requires constant driver supervision--a direct challenge to Musk's dream of driving fully autonomous vehicles in the future. Critics argue that the technology, as it is now, should not be widely used yet if FSD is indeed not dependable.
Challinger hesitates to share footage amid concerns over criticism
After having the accident, he called Tesla for help, but it didn't seem like they were interested. At that point, he was willing to share his dashcam footage with Tesla's AI team just to analyze what the flaw was, yet he hesitated to do so, with a fear that the footage, being laid open for criticism, might add to the fuel. Explained thusly:
"I do have the dashcam footage. I want to get it out there as a PSA that it can happen, even on V13, but I’m hesitant because I don’t want the attention and I don’t want to give the bears/haters any material." Although several Twitter users are engaging in the debate, the biggest question remains up in the air—did the malfunction come from FSD or from Challinger's mistake in using it?
Will Elon Musk acknowledge the risks of Tesla’s FSD technology after the Cybertruck crash?
The central question concerns whether Elon Musk will acknowledge the accident. Musk is famous for tweeting directly on platforms like X (Twitter) with anything concerning him, but so far, no word has been said concerning the crash. Although Tesla is aggressively demanding to take steps in autonomous driving, the Cybertruck crash is still a reminder for the world that the technology is essentially not yet there. The message from Challinger is loud and clear: Everyone should be alert while using the FSD because, as he specifically knows, it is still a bit rough. Will Tesla, together with Elon Musk, acknowledge the risks surrounding self-driving technology, or will they continue to pretend these don't exist?
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