Tesla fans celebrated what they claim was a Tesla vehicle in Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode that literally avoided a plane crash on the road. However, the driver confirmed that the Tesla vehicle was not in Full Self-Driving mode.
See also: Tesla faces investigation for traffic violations with its Full Self-Driving system
Tesla fans often complain that some drivers using Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD), Tesla’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), have blamed the systems for accidents they were responsible for. The automaker always claims that drivers are at fault at all times because, despite the systems’ names, they are only considered Level 2 driver assistance systems.
However, Tesla recently lost a lawsuit that partially blamed the automaker for a driver mishandling Autopilot, leading to a tragic fatal accident. Since losing the lawsuit, Tesla has settled several similar lawsuits. There seems to be a shift in how people view Tesla’s role in accidents involving Autopilot and FSD.
Tesla fans have responded by claiming that Autopilot and FSD also prevent accidents and save lives. Unfortunately for Tesla, this is harder to prove. Furthermore, Tesla shareholders and fans have been known to falsely attribute accident prevention to Tesla’s ADAS systems.
On Thursday afternoon, an OA-1K Skyraider II crashed in Oklahoma City shortly after takeoff. Before crashing into a field, the plane flew extremely close to a freeway, narrowly avoiding several cars. The moment was captured on a Tesla's dash cam.
See also: Tesla settles another fatal collision due to Autopilot
Tesla fans quickly took the video, which was originally posted on TikTok, and reposted it on social media, claiming that the Tesla vehicle that avoided the accident was in “Full Self-Driving.” The video with the slogan went viral. Even Elon Musk’s mother reposted it.
The problem is that the Tesla vehicle was not in Full Self-Driving mode. The original TikTok poster was asked about it and replied: “I was driving manually, FSD is really good, but it would have definitely hit that plane.” Despite the lack of evidence that FSD was involved, several well-known Tesla propagandists also shared the misinformation, including Nic Cruz Patane and Mario Nawfal, accounts that Elon Musk often promotes on X.
Even the Russian propaganda outlet RT shared the news. They have not issued a correction to the misinformation, despite the fact that their posts reached millions of people. This is dangerous propaganda. People are becoming overconfident in these systems, and this misinformation is not helping.
It's reasonable to imagine that some Tesla drivers see this and think they don't need to be as careful when driving - which has already led to several accidents. Tesla doesn't help its own claims that it's safer than humans by relying on flawed "safety reports" that distort the data.
See also: Tesla recalls 63,619 Cybertrucks due to parking light issue
FSD is impressive as a level 2 driver assistance system, but that's about it. The driver is always in charge and must be ready to take control. They can do the stupidest things at the most dangerous times. Stay safe out there.
