Smart summon accident and liability

[terraform]

Was in an empty parking lot and seemed like the perfect opportunity to try out smart summon.

My Y was parked in reverse in a space and I was about 150 feet away. It started out smooth, driving itself forward and leaving the space. Then it had to make a left-handed U-turn to go around a small median, and a left turn towards me. However, it took the U-turn too narrow and headed right up onto the median, where there was a single tree. Before I knew it, it crashed directly into the tree, without even slowing down, and leaving an unexpectedly large dent in my front bumper and bending the hood. From where I was standing, I saw the tree, but I thought it was at least a yard clear of it on the other side of the median. Unfortunately my depth of field view was off.

Insurance said it was covered under collision (minus my deductible). But I’m feeling let down. Eight cameras, and it couldn’t detect a normal tree? I understand that I signed up for a beta, but I somehow feel like Tesla should be liable and at least take care of it.

Thoughts or recommendations on how to even tell Tesla about it? Anyone have experience with this? I think I at least took one for the team and the beta could help make smart summon better.

 

[Soul Surfer]

I’d go after Tesla on this one. Check you dashcam if there is any video. Provide exact date and time so they can review logs.

 

[terraform]

I’d go after Tesla on this one. Check you dashcam if there is any video. Provide exact date and time so they can review logs.

Not sure where to start. I’ve made a service request at the Tesla collision shop, but it was a two month wait, so I ended up scheduling with a Tesla certified shop.

Unfortunately, no dashcam footage even though the car knew it was in an accident since the flashers came on afterwards.

 

[JulienW]

You are 100% responsible for monitoring and controlling the car. It is as if you are actually in the driver's seat full stop. It is NOT a L4 system or higher system.

 

[jakimo]

Right now it's amusing, it's not meant to be trusted.. and Tesla makes that very clear

One day, maybe we'll dismiss our cars in the Bronx and it'll find a nice spot for parking on its own.. and summon back in the morning to pick you up safely.. but today is not that day

 

[Supcom]

You are 100% responsible for monitoring and controlling the car. It is as if you are actually in the driver's seat full stop. It is NOT a L4 system or higher system.

The main reason I do not use smart summon, aside from it being slower than walking to the car, is that it is difficult to have a good view of the car at all times. Too much risk for virtually no gain.

Someday, when an L4 vehicle is available, summon, and reverse summon will be a great thing. but the current system was ill-conceived.

 

[BitJam]

Unfortunately, no dashcam footage even though the car knew it was in an accident since the flashers came on afterwards.

The dashcam should always be recording. Did you remove the TeslaCam device and look in the TeslaCam/RecentClips/ folder?

It may be too late now since it only saves an hour of video. But all hope is not lost. You can use a file-recovery/undelete program to get back most of the video that's on the device.

I keep a spare Teslacam device already formatted in the glovebox. The plan is that whenever there is an incident I want a record of, as soon as it is convenient/safe (within an hour) I will stop the car, turn off dashcam, remove the current device and plug in the spare. This way I won't have to deal with undelete.

 

[E90alex]

You are 100% responsible. You should be glad it was just your own property and didn’t damage another car or injure someone.

Smart summon is indeed not very smart.

 

[JulienW]

.....It may be too late now since it only saves an hour of video. But all hope is not lost. You can use a file-recovery/undelete program to get back most of the video that's on the device.....

Too late for what? No matter what is on the video the driver (that is WHAT you are when operating Summon) is responsible, NOT Tesla. I'm reasonably sure the tree didn't move into the Tesla's path.

 

[uscbucsfan]

"Smart Summon is a fun trick", not an actual tool or something useful. The first part is quoting Elon.

It's not meant to drive and pick you up, yet. It's meant to play with in a controlled environment if it hits something, that's on you as you have control of it through the app. I don't think you have any chance going after Tesla.

 

[terraform]

I get it, my fault totally. I guess this is more of a vent than anything

Come on eight cameras, radar sensors, and it cannot stop for a tree? The grassy median okay, but the fact that it cannot spot a normal sized tree is mind boggling! I followed the playbook: flat paved parking lot with lines, be within 200 feet, no cars, no people or animals around or unexpected behavior. Hope anyone else sees this and is extra careful around trees!

 

[uscbucsfan]

I get it, my fault totally. I guess this is more of a vent than anything

Come on eight cameras, radar sensors, and it cannot stop for a tree? The grassy median okay, but the fact that it cannot spot a normal sized tree is mind boggling! I followed the playbook: flat paved parking lot with lines, be within 200 feet, no cars, no people or animals around or unexpected behavior. Hope anyone else sees this and is extra careful around trees!

You didn't see it moving towards the tree and think, "I should stop this"? You did not follow the playbook at all...you let it hit a tree and then thought it wouldn't because it "has 8 cameras"...the Summon stack hasn't really been touched in years.

 

[s1rk]

Sorry this happened!

Also, why do I find it funny that it hit a tree and your s/n is terraform... if only you could've terraformed the tree out of the way!

 

[Chisale]

I also vote for "you're responsible" and just be grateful that insurance is covering it. Mine almost hit a cart corral once and I stopped it just time. After that; no more. It's just not worth it for what it is. A parlor trick only without any useful function.

 

[zoomer0056]

no dashcam footage

You can manually save video by touching the camera icon. It will save 10 minutes before it was touched and a couple after. Dashcam has to be on for this to work.

 

[terraform]

You didn't see it moving towards the tree and think, "I should stop this"? You did not follow the playbook at all...you let it hit a tree and then thought it wouldn't because it "has 8 cameras"...the Summon stack hasn't really been touched in years.

I saw the tree, but I was about 150 ft away and my depth of field was off. So I thought it was going next to it. Wish they would include "avoid trees" in the warning.

Sorry this happened!

Also, why do I find it funny that it hit a tree and your s/n is terraform... if only you could've terraformed the tree out of the way!

Good one—username checks out!

 

[JulienW]

I saw the tree, but I was about 150 ft away and my depth of field was off. So I thought it was going next to it. Wish they would include "avoid trees" in the warning.

Good one—username checks out!

Keep in mind Smart Summon is VERY legacy code and doesn't use the occupancy vision network in any way. It mainly uses the USS to navigate and has some VERY LIMITED and OLD vision abilities. While no inside info I suspect it is VERY limited to identifying objects by vision to things like Stop signs, cars, walls and people. Tress and anything not identified are likely just ignored.

EDIT: Elon claimed Actually Smart Summon is coming to replace using the current software (occupancy) Stack. Was supposed to be part of the "single stack" but did not make it. I'm sure it will be available in "two weeks" or "end of the year".

 

[BitJam]

Too late for what? No matter what is on the video the driver (that is WHAT you are when operating Summon) is responsible, NOT Tesla. I'm reasonably sure the tree didn't move into the Tesla's path.

Too late to get video of the incident, of course. I agree with you that the driver is responsible. But they are still allowed to get a video of what happened. One of the reasons I'm here is to try to help out my fellow Tesla owners. If the OP didn't know about the RecentClips folder or the undelete trick, they do now. Maybe others have been helped too.

No need to be so prickly.

 

[terraform]

Keep in mind Smart Summon is VERY legacy code and doesn't use the occupancy vision network in any way. It mainly uses the USS to navigate and has some VERY LIMITED and OLD vision abilities. While no inside info I suspect it is VERY limited to identifying objects by vision to things like Stop signs, cars, walls and people. Tress and anything not identified are likely just ignored.

EDIT: Elon claimed Actually Smart Summon is coming to replace using the current software (occupancy) Stack. Was supposed to be part of the "single stack" but did not make it. I'm sure it will be available in "two weeks" or "end of the year".

Aw man, so if I waited two weeks, I might’ve been fine

 

[uscbucsfan]

Aw man, so if I waited two weeks, I might’ve been fine

2 weeks is 1 month- 2 years in Elon time.