AEB Won’t Prevent an Accident

[Rusty1]

This is proof that having Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) doesn’t mean you will not run into someone. AEB is intended to minimize the potential impact of a collision - not necessarily prevent the collision.

Tesla in Autopilot mode crashes into fire truck

 

[jeffpaul]

This is proof that having Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) doesn’t mean you will not run into someone. AEB is intended to minimize the potential impact of a collision - not necessarily prevent the collision.

Tesla in Autopilot mode crashes into fire truck

We don't know anything about the accident but "a Tesla hit a fire truck". I don't think it *proves* anything.

 

[jdw]

Also, *if* the Tesla was indeed on AutoPilot, it does reinforce that AutoPilot cannot see stationary vehicles or objects and you need to pay attention while it is engaged. How many people have to drive into something before this registers?

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

While this doesn't prove anything we already know from the manual that AEB isn't meant as a crash prevention system.

It's simply a crash mitigation system. In this particular accident we don't know if it mitigated anything.

 

[Tam]

Tesla needs to release the car logs or otherwise it's just a speculation.

 

[roblab]

Tesla needs to release the car logs or otherwise it's just a speculation.

I think Tesla would prefer to let you speculate. Most of us don't care enough to read them.

 

[FlatSix911]

While this doesn't prove anything we already know from the manual that AEB isn't meant as a crash prevention system.

It's simply a crash mitigation system. In this particular accident we don't know if it mitigated anything.

Correct ... here is the detailed information from the manual that no one has bothered to read ... RTFM
.

 

[Dr. Smoke]

No one has thought to wonder why AEB only drops speed by 25mph. When there's no input from the driver, it just washes its 'hands' of the situation?

And no one has thought to wonder why the radar doesn't respond to stationary objects. I know it 'sees' them (it is doppler), but the system does nothing to mitigate them. It should at least activate the Red Alert. I was on the highway one night when some joker put a construction barrel in the middle of the lane -- I grabbed the wheel and tried to dodge, but hit it with my corner and the barrel smashed the right mirror.

 

[Ande]

Everybody that cared to read the manual sections, at least the ones related to autopilot, knew that already. (Referring to the first post)

 

[Shock-On-T]

Yep, AEB doesn't prevent collisions.
It might, however, be the reason the driver wasn't injured.

 

[Tiger]

It wouldn't be good business for AEB to prevent collisions. Two reasons:

• collisions bring more publicity than avoiding collisions
• collisions bring more repeat business (body parts, new vehicles)

 

[Rusty1]

We don't know anything about the accident but "a Tesla hit a fire truck". I don't think it *proves* anything.

The only way this isn’t proof is if you think he had AEB disabled or if you think his system was malfunctioning. The car hit a fire truck!

 

[Az_Rael]

The only way this isn’t proof is if you think he had AEB disabled or if you think his system was malfunctioning. The car hit a fire truck!

No, if he manually brakes, the car disables AEB per the manual. So if the driver had manually started braking, AEB wouldn’t have been on. We don’t know if he looked up at a collision warning and slammed on the brakes.

Tesla’s system is not the sort that adds to your braking power like other car manufacturers systems.

 

[fren]

No one has thought to wonder why AEB only drops speed by 25mph. When there's no input from the driver, it just washes its 'hands' of the situation?

And no one has thought to wonder why the radar doesn't respond to stationary objects. I know it 'sees' them (it is doppler), but the system does nothing to mitigate them. It should at least activate the Red Alert. I was on the highway one night when some joker put a construction barrel in the middle of the lane -- I grabbed the wheel and tried to dodge, but hit it with my corner and the barrel smashed the right mirror.

i know mine ( ap1 ) saw sometimes stationary cars, but in the manual it s written that it 's not 100%

 

[Rusty1]

My main reason for this thread is that I think there is a misconception that AEB will keep you from hitting another object (I.e. car, pedestrian, fire truck, brick wall, etc.). This is not the case.

 

[Tam]

My main reason for this thread is that I think there is a misconception that AEB will keep you from hitting another object (I.e. car, pedestrian, fire truck, brick wall, etc.). This is not the case.

Thanks for the good Public Service Announcement so owners can understand what the manual says in theory.

To apply to this case, we still need a car log in order to figure out how the accident happened and whether the AEB was activated or not.

Did the owner swerve to the left and thus disable AEB?

How slow was the car traveling? Does the car log say 65 MPH? Look at all the air bags: Front, side curtains..., photo angle doesn't document evidence of deployment!

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

It wouldn't be good business for AEB to prevent collisions. Two reasons:

• collisions bring more publicity than avoiding collisions
• collisions bring more repeat business (body parts, new vehicles)

However, the reason it isn't designed to prevent collisions is that

• Injuries are what matter, not damage to the car

 

[rhumbliner]

i know mine ( ap1 ) saw sometimes stationary cars, but in the manual it s written that it 's not 100%

+1.

My AP1 has, at times, slowed to a stop for stationary objects and other times it would have happily smashed into a stopped vehicle. It normally does not stop if I’m following a vehicle (using TACC) and that vehicle changes lanes quickly cuz there is a stopped vehicle in front of it. In this case my AP1 won’t acquire the stopped vehicle in time to stop. I’ve experienced this situation a few times.

 

[stopcrazypp]

No one has thought to wonder why AEB only drops speed by 25mph. When there's no input from the driver, it just washes its 'hands' of the situation?

And no one has thought to wonder why the radar doesn't respond to stationary objects. I know it 'sees' them (it is doppler), but the system does nothing to mitigate them. It should at least activate the Red Alert. I was on the highway one night when some joker put a construction barrel in the middle of the lane -- I grabbed the wheel and tried to dodge, but hit it with my corner and the barrel smashed the right mirror.

I remember reading an article where someone from Tesla discussed the legal liabilities of such systems. If the AEB failed to prevent an accident the automaker is not liable (since it is an assistive feature). If AEB caused an accident or made an accident worse by unnecessarily braking (or braking too much) then it's possible for the automaker to be liable. The 25mph strikes a good middle ground to reduce the probability of injury without risking being rear ended.

In this case, no one was injured.

 

[Dr. Smoke]

My AP1 has, at times, slowed to a stop for stationary objects and other times it would have happily smashed into a stopped vehicle. It normally does not stop if I’m following a vehicle (using TACC) and that vehicle changes lanes quickly cuz there is a stopped vehicle in front of it. In this case my AP1 won’t acquire the stopped vehicle in time to stop. I’ve experienced this situation a few times.

And this is exactly what TSB has now reopened its investigation on.

I'm beginning to suspicion that the CID is too slow to be reliable in this, whereas in older cars (MB) it's fine.