(Credit: Mylo Kaye/Editorial RF via Getty Images)
A Tesla Cybertruck crashed into a pole while running Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, raising questions about the chain of events that led to the collision.
The driver, Jonathan Challinger, said the Cybertruck "failed to merge out of a lane that was ending...and made no attempt to slow down." It first hit a curb, and then rammed into the light pole, slicing through the front of the vehicle and taking off the wheel.
Challinger, a software developer from Florida, blames himself for not paying attention and getting "complacent." In a previous X post from January, Challinger wrote about his habit of losing focus with FSD enabled: "Sometimes I decide to go somewhere and turn on Tesla FSD and then I forget where I decided to go and then it starts turning into Taco Bell or whatever and I'm like wtf is it doing and then I'm like oh right Taco Bell."
Tesla's system is supposed to warn drivers repeatedly if they are not paying attention. Per the Tesla owner's manual, the vehicle should issue a series of escalated warnings if the driver is not paying attention. They will also be asked to put their hands on the steering wheel. If the driver repeatedly ignores these prompts, FSD disables for the rest of the drive.
"I don't expect [FSD] to be infallible but I definitely didn't have utility pole in my face while driving slowly on an empty road on my bingo card," Challinger says.
As Electrek notes, citing Tesla enthusiast Troy Teslike, the pole is in an awkward position, jutting out into the shoulder. But the Cybertruck should've been able to see merge arrows and change lanes prior to the collision.
(Credit: Google Maps)Challinger tagged Tesla in his post and offered to help find the reason for the crash, hoping to "help save others from the same fate or far worse." Surprisingly, he thanked Tesla for the vehicle's sturdy engineering; he was not hurt in the crash. He also did not mention how much he'll have to pay to repair his EV. A Cybertruck costs between $80,000 and $100,000, plus $8,000 for the self-driving software upgrade.
Cybertrucks only got the ability to run FSD in September, nine months after the vehicle's launch. Given the vehicle's unique size, shape, and software, it required tweaks to the version of FSD used by other Tesla vehicles. The Cybertruck that crashed was running a relatively recent version of FSD, version 13.2.4, which Tesla released in January. It mostly focused on "bug fixes," according to Not a Tesla app, but the release notes also mention an improved system for "collision avoidance."
After the update, another Cybertruck driver reported an issue with lane centering, another lane-related issue. However, this seems to be a repeated issue that another driver flagged on Reddit after a December 2024 software update.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating Tesla FSD for a separate issue related to four crashes in low-visibility situations. The NHTSA's process includes examining the behavior of both the driver and the software in each incident. In a fatal crash in 2019, it confirmed that Tesla's Autopilot was engaged just 10 seconds prior to the collision.
Tesla vehicles accounted for 40 out of 45 fatal crashes reported to the NHTSA through Oct. 15, 2024. President Trump is reportedly considering removing the requirement for automakers to report all accidents involving self-driving vehicles. Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the rule unfairly targets Tesla, given the number of incidents and reporting it must provide to the organization. The NHTSA says the information supplied by the reporting rule allows it to detect patterns in crashes.
Musk maintains that vehicles with FSD enabled are safer than human-operated cars, with fewer crashes per miles driven. The company plans to debut its first robotaxi service in Austin in June.