This Tesla’s Risky Move Will Leave You on the Edge of Your Seat!

Jesse Lyu, CEO of AI gadget startup Rabbit, recently found himself in a dangerous situation that exposed a major flaw in Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ (FSD) technology. His Tesla car veered onto active train tracks during what was supposed to be a routine drive, raising serious concerns about the safety of autonomous driving systems.

A previously enthusiastic Tesla user, Lyu had always been impressed with the brand’s cutting-edge features. But on Thursday, his trust was tested when his car’s self-driving system took a literal wrong turn. What should have been a simple 15-minute commute became a heart-stopping moment.

A Routine Drive Gone Wrong

Lyu had just left his apartment and activated Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’ and ‘Full Self-Driving (Supervised)’ modes, which are designed to reduce the need for driver input. These advanced systems can steer, brake, and accelerate on highways and city streets.

However, as the car attempted a left turn onto Colorado Avenue in Los Angeles, it went off course and drove onto light rail tracks meant for Metro E Line trains. Concrete barriers along the tracks left Lyu with no immediate way to correct the error.

“Crazy Moment” Caught on Camera

Lyu shared his terrifying ordeal in a video interview, describing how he noticed an oncoming train just a block away. Reacting quickly, he disengaged the self-driving system and ran a red light at the next intersection to get off the tracks.

Visibly shaken, Lyu called the experience “crazy” but emphasized that his intent wasn’t to criticize Tesla. “I’m just trying to share this video to Tesla and the team. This is a serious problem, and regardless of how a human reacts, the autopilot algorithm should never put any of their vehicles onto the train track. That’s just fundamentally wrong.”

Viral Video Sparks Debate

Lyu uploaded dashcam footage of the incident to X (formerly Twitter), where it quickly went viral, garnering over 690,000 views. The video sparked mixed reactions. While some viewers blamed Lyu for not intervening sooner, others focused on the flaws in Tesla’s technology.

Critics argued that Lyu should have taken control earlier, but he explained that the car’s unpredictable steering angles during self-driving turns made holding the wheel impractical. By the time he realized the mistake, the concrete barriers prevented him from steering back onto the road.

A Bigger Question About Tesla’s Tech

This incident highlights long-standing concerns about Tesla’s approach to self-driving technology. Unlike competitors like Waymo, which uses LiDAR for precise navigation, Tesla relies solely on cameras and an experimental software system available to everyday drivers. Tesla explicitly states that drivers must remain alert and keep their hands on the wheel at all times.

Despite these warnings, Tesla owners often push the limits of the technology, testing its capabilities in hands-free scenarios that have gone viral on social media. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly claimed that the technology will soon surpass human driving capabilities, with bold predictions as recently as 2023.

Customer Loyalty Amid Controversy

Remarkably, Lyu remains supportive of Tesla’s self-driving features, which he purchased for $10,000. “I like to try it; I like to use it,” Lyu said. “The reason I’m sharing this is that, as a customer, I want this feature to be better.”

This wasn’t Tesla’s first brush with controversy. Recently, another Tesla in Full Self-Driving mode collided with a deer at full speed on a highway, failing to stop or slow down.

Despite these incidents, Tesla continues to push the boundaries of autonomous driving, but as Lyu’s experience shows, there is still significant room for improvement.