Tesla: a Model 3 owner tests the Autopilot with his children and films the scene

The Autopilot always at the heart of the discussions when the Tesla subject is mentioned. But in a different way this time. As BFMTV spotted on the CNBC site, it’s because of a video made by a Model 3 owner. Wishing to prove the reliability of this autonomous driving system, also known as Full Self -Driving (FSD) in the United States, it is supposed thanks to numerous sensors to allow the driver to remove his hands from the steering wheel. It also allows, according to the brand, to “maintain a trajectory, accelerate and brake automatically in its lane” even if Tesla specifies it, “the current functionalities of Autopilot require active monitoring on the part of the driver and do not not make the vehicle autonomous”.

If the heading maintenance assistance is one of the features much appreciated by Tesla users, just like the exit from a parking lot, the Autopilot is also supposed to be able to recognize if a person is in the way of the vehicle. And this is what this father of the family wanted to demonstrate by simply using his children. For this, the man who is also one of the brand’s investors, used them in two situations. In the first, one of his children is motionless in the middle of the track. In the second, he crosses the road. Each time, in the video, the Model 3 stops at a respectable distance.

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The American regulator asks for caution

What reassure some parents? Maybe, but not for YouTube. The video hosting platform withdrew that of the father of the family because it contravened its rules regarding respect for minors. On its support page it is clearly indicated that “videos that endanger the emotional and physical well-being of minors”, whether “dangerous stunts, pranks or challenges” are prohibited, remind our colleagues. When questioned, the YouTube spokesperson confirms that the video uploaded to Whole Mars Catalog’s page was not compliant because the video was content showing “a minor participating in dangerous activities or encouraging them to engage in activities dangerous”.

Disappointed but not dejected, the investor and author of the video praised the merits of the FSD assuring that he “would entrust the life of [ses] children” and that anyway, he was in the car and could have braked in the event of a problem. For its part, the United States Federal Highway Safety Authority (NHTSA), has warned against this type of video where “no one should risk their life or the life of someone else to test the performance of automotive technology”, according to comments relayed by Bloomberg. But the video is still visible on Twitter, for example. Autopilot is decried in the United States Last June, the American regulator had for example asked the car manufacturer to provide explanations after receiving 758 reports of unexpected brake activation while the vehicle was on Autopilot.

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