The shocking video shows the vehicle repeatedly hitting a child-sized mannequin in its path
Tesla is embroiled in fresh controversy after a disturbing video was released claiming to show his Full Self Drive (FSD) technology poses a danger to children.
The video depicts safety test conducted by the Computer Safety Campaign Group Project “Dawn”.in which Tesla, running the latest version of the company’s FSD Beta software, constantly hits a stationary child-sized mannequin in its path.
The test was carried out by a professional test driver in
Willow Springs International Speedway and Test Track in Rosamond, California on June 21.
The Dawn project is funded by Dan O’Dowd, the billionaire businessman who is is running for the US Senate in a single-issue campaign to have FSD banned by Congress.
“The deeply disturbing results of our Tesla Full Self-Driving safety test should be a rallying cry for action.” O’Dowd said. “Elon Musk says Tesla’s self-driving software is “amazing.” It’s not. It’s a deadly threat to all Americans. Over 100,000 Tesla drivers are already using the car’s fully autonomous mode on public roads, putting children at great risk in communities across the country.”
The effectiveness of Tesla’s self-driving software has been repeatedly questioned over the past few months. The company offers Autopilot and the slightly more advanced Full Self-Driving, which despite its name is driver assistance technology. They are rated as Level 2 by the Society of Automotive Engineers – meaning that cars equipped with them are not fully autonomous and that drivers must be ready to take control at all times to maintain safety.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking closely at Autopilot in particular. In Juneit revealed that Tesla had reported 273 crashes including cars operating on Autopilot in the US between July 2021 and June 2022.
NHTSA has too stepped up the investigation in a series of collisions involving Teslas on Autopilot and emergency vehicles stopped on the road for emergencies. And in July it revealed that 758 Tesla owners had highlighted cases of “phantom stop” – when a car stops or slows down for no apparent reason.
Several fatal crashes are also being investigated the latest couple both featuring motorcyclists. And Tesla even was accused of false advertising autopilot and full self-driving capabilities from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
The emergence of this latest video has caused owners to come to Tesla’s defense on social media, but with some fans conducting own tests in an attempt to prove the effectiveness of FSD.
Because O’Dowd’s company Green Hills makes software used in cars, some have questioned his motives for producing political ads that show Tesla in a bad light.
Video Shows Tesla’s Self-Driving Tech Puts Children in Danger
