Here at FuelArc, we’re always looking for the driver’s eye view.
When we covered the release of Tesla’s Autopilot update in China yesterday, we were excited to find footage of a driver testing it. Seemed to work fairly well. The driver liked it well enough, even if they described it as “nothing radical” compared to other self-driving systems available in-country.
Video of Tesla’s Updated Autopilot Running Red Lights in China
Well, the “Urban Road Autopilot Assistance” hasn’t been available for two days, and one wild driver is letting their Autopilot do what it likes. Turns out, it likes to repeatedly run red lights and struggles to read basic traffic signals.
Tesla FSD run two red light in 30secs in China
byu/wuduzodemu inSelfDrivingCars
Breaking It Down Light-by-Light
Let’s break down what is actually happening here: The first light, you can see on the center console visualization, the system misreads the main signal as green. There are two green turn arrows, so it must have assumed one of those was the main signal. Huge mistake, could easily kill you.
The second red light, this one is clearly shifting from amber to red, but once red, the light immediately signals a green left turn arrow. The system doesn’t apply the brake on amber, and then cruises right through on full red. The system again misreads the green turn arrow as a green signal to go straight.
None of that is great. These are about as serious of a mistake as an ADAS can make, and it makes the same mistake twice in a minute.
Limitations of the Technology
Oh right, and the Chinese text… that’s just comedic flavor text. Titling the video and keeping score, basically. The text does refer to the Tesla as having FSD, which it does not have, but you can hardly blame the driver for being confused. They may well have purchased FSD and then unlocked this intermediate system, the two similar tiers of autonomy are confusing.
We should be real about the limitations of the technology. For an optical-camera based system like Autopilot, there are going to be tough use cases. It will perform worse at night. It will really struggle in snow or fog. Your car can only see what a camera can see, and that imposes limitations.
This case is none of those things. Broad daylight on a well-marked road. It sees the lights fine, it just can’t interpret them accurately.
Don’t Worry, the Driver Lost Their License… But It Does Raise Hairy Questions
Every time we show Tesla’s self-driving technology behaving badly or endangering road users, there’s a repetitive chorus of “it’s the driver’s fault, they should have intervened.” That’s often the end of the conversation, particularly among Tesla fans. It’s a cleverly constructed system by Tesla, where if the technology ever fails, it’s always the user’s fault. Smart, in a sort of corporate ghoul kind of way!
In this case, Tesla fans don’t need to worry. China has heavily regulated roads, and your drivers license has a point system. You get 12 points to spend each year. Surveillance is pervasive, red light cameras everywhere. Running a red light costs 6 points. So in 30 seconds, this driver went from Autopiloting their Tesla to self-piloting a bicycle.
Still, the video leaves us with some uncomfortable questions. The million dollar question: If we’re already seeing obviously dangerous behavior like this, only 2 days into the release, how rigorous was the safety testing prior to rollout?
