The capabilities of Tesla's 'Autopilot' level 2 autonomous driving system are once again under a spotlight.
A Tesla Model 3 crash case in Taiwan has gone viral, following claims from the vehicle's driver that autopilot was activated.
The incident took place on a stretch of motoway yesterday as the Model 3 and its driver, addressed in local media as Mr. Huang, approached an overturned box truck.
The box truck covered two lanes of motorway, a large enough obstacle that most drivers would be able to avoid given the lack of traffic and visibility.
Mr. Huang told media that Autopilot was engaged on his Model 3. But, instead of slowing the car to a stop to avoid hitting the truck the Tesla hit it; punching through the roof of its rear storage compartment.
Footage shows that the Tesla locked its front wheels just prior to impact, which ties in with Huang claiming he pumped the brake pedal once he saw the truck. Huang was thankfully uninjured.
There have been several incidents of Tesla Autopilot apparently failing to react when faced with 'unorthodox' obstructions like stationary large vehicles.
Most notably, the deaths of Americans Joshua Brown (2016) and Jeremy Beren Banner (2018) in two separate car crash deaths hinged on Autopilot apparently being unable to spot and react to semi-trucks (one stationary, the other crossing traffic).
This latest incident is awkward timing for Tesla, given that the firm recently added a price increase to its upcoming full self-driving technology, with CEO Elon Musk telling followers on Twitter that the technology's value is "probably somewhere in excess of $100,000."
Regardless of all the advancements in tech, the simple safety addage of 'keeping your eyes on the road' still holds up today.