Moment Tesla driver is saved from being sideswiped by an orange pickup truck on a rainy motorway by the car’s autopilot system
- Near miss was captured on film by one of the Tesla Model 3’s external cameras
- Car is driving in fading light on a US motorway when the truck looms into view
- Tesla quickly veers into the lane to the left to avoid the truck
- Driver Jeff McQuinn said he had only bought the electric car two days before
This is the moment that a driver is saved from being side swiped in the pouring rain on a US motorway by his electric Tesla car’s autopilot.
The near miss, which was captured on film by one of the Tesla Model 3’s external cameras, shows the car driving in fading light on the motorway.
Suddenly, a bright orange pickup truck looms into view and when it is less than a car’s width away from a collision, the Tesla veers to the left and out of the way.
This is the moment that a driver is saved from being side swiped in the pouring rain on a US motorway by his electric Tesla car’s autopilot
The driver of the truck then stays in their original lane and the Tesla keeps one lane between them.
The Tesla’s driver, Jeff McQuinn, had taken delivery of the Model 3, which was released in July 2017, just two days before his close call.
He explained underneath the video, which he posted on Youtube, that he at first thought his new car was malfunctioning.
‘I first thought there was something wrong with my car or autopilot was not working well in the rain when it swerved hard into the other lane.
‘It gave all the warnings, but I thought maybe rain got onto the camera lens.
‘It wasn’t until I looked at the dashcam that [I realised] it saved me a moderate accident (sic),’ he added.
The near miss, which was captured on film by one of the Tesla Model 3’s external cameras, shows an orange pickup truck suddenly loom into view on a US motorway and the Tesla’s Autopilot system steers the electric car to the left to avoid it
The driver of the truck then stays in their original lane and the Tesla keeps one lane between them. The Tesla’s driver, Jeff McQuinn, had taken delivery of the Model 3, which was released in July 2017, just two days before his close call
Tesla, which is owned by entrepreneur Elon Musk, released the Model 3 in July 2017 – it costs around £45,000.
Its Autopilot system uses eight cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar to scan the road around the car, constantly checking for threats.
However, another car produced by the firm, the Model X, crashed in California while using the Autopilot system in June 2018, killing its driver.