--- title: "Self-Driving Tesla Almost Crashes Head-on Into Police Car" description: "A Tesla driver had a close call with an oncoming cop car while driving with his car's \"Full Self-Driving\" mode turned on." date: "2024-05-07" modified: "2024-05-07" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/self-driving-tesla-almost-crashes-police-car" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Self-Driving Vehicles" - "Tesla" tags: - "autopilot" - "elon musk" - "full self-driving" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Self-Driving Tesla Almost Crashes Head-on Into Police Car ![A Tesla driver had a close call with an oncoming cop car while driving with his car's "Full Self-Driving" mode turned on.]() *\Image: FixorFkit via X\* ## Close Call A Tesla owner had a terrifying run-in on May 3 while driving down a country road with his vehicle's so-called "Full Self-Driving" feature turned on. Dashcam [footage]() from the user, who goes by FixorFkit and [shared the video on X-formerly-Twitter](), shows the vehicle crossing the median and veering into the opposite lane to avoid a cyclist — just as a cop car was approaching from the other direction. Thanks to a quick intervention, he managed to narrowly avoid a collision. "Stupid fucking thing," the driver can be heard saying after yanking the steering wheel to stay behind the cyclist. "One of the most horrific drives I had with FSD yet!" FixorFkit wrote. "Important to be alert with FSD. I took over and pulled us back to safety!" The incident highlights the [glaring]() [shortcomings]() of Tesla's infamous driver assistance software, which regulators have long argued lulls Tesla drivers into a false sense of security — and how a lack of attention could easily lead to a collision in a matter of seconds. https://twitter.com/FixorFkit/status/1787197847198446005 ## Eyes on the Road The company's Autopilot software has already been the subject of [several]() [governmental investigations](). Just last month, federal regulators [released a report]() in which they found that Tesla's controversial driver assistance software was linked to hundreds of injuries and dozens of deaths. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that those using FSD "were not sufficiently engaged in the driving task" and that Tesla "did not adequately ensure that drivers maintained their attention." Today, the NHTSA [revealed in a new filing]() that it had found Tesla didn't adequately address the issue following a [recall of two million vehicles]() with Autopilot in December, and had "[several concerns]()." The regulator identified at least 20 crashes involving Teslas which had a new Autopilot update installed that was designed to address the issue of inattentive drivers. Nine of them involved Teslas colliding with other vehicles or people in their path. In other words, we're likely to see more incidents like the one recorded by FixorFkit — and given how Tesla is marketing the software, many of the drivers won't be able to intervene before it's too late. And the stakes are high: Tesla CEO Elon Musk is [essentially betting]() the company on the success of the company's driver assistance tech and [hopes to show off a "robotaxi"]() as soon as August. **More on Tesla:** *[Elon Musk Just Fired Yet Another Round of Tesla Workers]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()