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SEARCHRear-underride collisions upset safety advocates because they badly hurt auto drivers and passengers. What about a front-underride incident with no driver and no injuries?
Car was short enough to slip under the trailer and its load and suffer only a smashed windshield. Photos: from KSL-TV news report.
When a guy buys a $120,000 Tesla Model S, he gets an advanced, all-electric powertrain, plus sophisticated electronic features that help navigate and guide the car down the road, and of course parallel-park it. He doesn't expect the car to move on its own and wedge itself under the front of a parked semitrailer.
But that’s exactly what happened, owner Jared Overton told KSL-TV News, Salt Lake City, which reported the story Wednesday (and was picked up by www.constructionequipment.com).
Amazingly, the driverless car was just the right height to slip under the trailer’s nose and overhanging load of aluminum tubing, suffering no more than a smashed windshield.The trailer appeared unscathed. It happened in Lindon, in the Orem-Provo area. Watch the report here.
So, was the car’s software a non-perfected “beta-test” version? You’d think that should have gotten Mr. Overton a purchase discount, not to mention a complimentary new windshield. Wait 'til Consumer Reports hears about this!
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