Luckily, the damage was very minor. However, in these edge-case scenarios, no current self-driving system on the market is able to always do what's right.
As Tesla states though, the driver should always be attentive and always in control of the car. We need to remember that even Tesla says the cars aren't yet capable of full self-driving, so the driver then is in charge.
Autopilot Saves
As you'll see in the video clip above, a Tesla Model S is on Autopilot when it approaches a small construction area on the expressway. In this particular situation, the cement dividing wall actually encroaches on the lane in which the Model S is traveling in. Autopilot stays the course, which keeps the car in its lane, but in the process, the wall is clipped by the car.
It's unfortunate, but as you'll read in the description below, the damage was very minor.
Video description:
Tesla Auto Pilot Fail!
Our Tesla bounces off the wall.
This is our Tesla Model S during autopilot that bounced off the wall. No injuries except the wheel was heavily scuffed up and some small scratches on the film itself. Luckily it didn't need a body shop visit and just need film replacement to make it look like it never happened.
Winning!
Source: YouTube
