this post was submitted on 02 Apr 2025
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TL;DR: Self-Driving Teslas Rear-End Motorcyclists, Killing at Least 5

Brevity is the spirit of wit, and I am just not that witty. This is a long article, here is the gist of it:

  • The NHTSA’s self-driving crash data reveals that Tesla’s self-driving technology is, by far, the most dangerous for motorcyclists, with five fatal crashes that we know of.
  • This issue is unique to Tesla. Other self-driving manufacturers have logged zero motorcycle fatalities with the NHTSA in the same time frame.
  • The crashes are overwhelmingly Teslas rear-ending motorcyclists.

Read our full analysis as we go case-by-case and connect the heavily redacted government data to news reports and police documents.

Oh, and read our thoughts about what this means for the robotaxi launch that is slated for Austin in less than 60 days.

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[–] SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

It’s because the system has to rely on visual cues, since Tesla’s have no radar. The system looks at the tail light when it’s dark to gauge the distance from the vehicle. And since some bikes have a double light the system thinks it’s a car in front of them that is far away, when in reality it’s a bike up close. Also remember the ai is trained on human driving behavior which Tesla records from their customers. And we all know how well the average human drives around two wheeled vehicles.

[–] Redex68@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Cuz other self driving cars use LIDAR so it's basically impossible for them to not realise that a bike is there.

[–] jdeath@lemm.ee 1 points 5 hours ago

unless it's foggy, etc.

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 25 points 1 day ago (2 children)

the cybertruck is sharp enough to cut a deer in half, surely a biker is just as vulnerable.

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[–] the_three_tomatoes@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You mean they are providing organ donations more than any other car. Silver lining. /s

[–] KayLeadfoot@fedia.io 1 points 20 hours ago

They call it the Model 3 because the Tesla Organ-Harvester didn't translate well to Chinese

[–] captainastronaut@seattlelunarsociety.org 144 points 2 days ago (15 children)

Tesla self driving is never going to work well enough without sensors - cameras are not enough. It’s fundamentally dangerous and should not be driving unsupervised (or maybe at all).

[–] KayLeadfoot@fedia.io 86 points 2 days ago (8 children)

Accurate.

Each fatality I found where a Tesla kills a motorcyclist is a cascade of 3 failures.

  1. The car's cameras don't detect the biker, or it just doesn't stop for some reason.
  2. The driver isn't paying attention to detect the system failure.
  3. The Tesla's driver alertness tech fails to detect that the driver isn't paying attention.

Taking out the driver will make this already-unacceptably-lethal system even more lethal.

[–] jonne@infosec.pub 66 points 2 days ago (3 children)
  1. Self-driving turns itself off seconds before a crash, giving the driver an impossibly short timespan to rectify the situation.
[–] KayLeadfoot@fedia.io 64 points 2 days ago (7 children)

... Also accurate.

God, it really is a nut punch. The system detects the crash is imminent.

Rather than automatically try to evade... the self-driving tech turns off. I assume it is to reduce liability or make the stats look better. God.

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[–] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 1 day ago (10 children)

Remember, you have the right to self-defence, against both rogue robots and rogue humans.

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[–] AnimalsDream@slrpnk.net 30 points 1 day ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (11 children)

I imagine bicyclists must be æffected as well if they're on the road (as we should be, technically). As somebody who has already been literally inches away from being rear-ended, this makes me never want to bike in the US again.

Time to go to Netherlands.

this makes me never want to bike in the US again.

I live close enough to work for it to be a very reasonable biking distance. But there is no safe route. A high-speed "stroad" with a narrow little bike lane. It would only be a matter of time before some asshole with their face in their phone drifts into me.

I am deeply resentful of our automobile-centric infrastructure in the U.S. It's bad for the environment, bad for our wallets, bad for our waistlines, and bad for physical safety.

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[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 83 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (7 children)

Hey guys relax! It's all part of the learning experience of Tesla FSD.
Some of you may die, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

Regards
Elon Musk
CEO of Tesla

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[–] 0x0@programming.dev 52 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (9 children)

This is news? Fortnine talked about it two years ago.
TL;DR Tesla removed LIDAR to save a buck and the cameras see two red dots that the 'puter thinks it's a far away car at night when indeed it's a close motorcycle.

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[–] 9488fcea02a9@sh.itjust.works 35 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Sounds like NHTSA needs a visit from DOGE!

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[–] Gork@lemm.ee 68 points 2 days ago (12 children)

Lidar needs to be a mandated requirement for these systems.

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[–] arrakark@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

What bike is that in the photo?

[–] lando55@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

It looks a great deal like a Royal Enfield, but I couldn't tell you which model. A Bullet, maybe?

[–] KayLeadfoot@fedia.io 5 points 1 day ago

My partner and I were actually debating that exact question before I posted it!

It's just stock art, but of a rider in the Midwest. Custom exhaust, custom saddle and rack for that cafe racer look, and I just barely can't make out the model on the engine fairing.

Here it is all big, let me know if you can figure it out: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-person-riding-a-motorcycle-on-a-city-street-kPfwWyUWubA

Looks hot, that's why I picked it.

[–] SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world 22 points 2 days ago

Trucks in general have gotten so big they are pedestrian deathtraps

[–] PalmTreeIsBestTree@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

This is another reason I’ll never drive a motorcycle. Fuck that shit.

[–] KayLeadfoot@fedia.io 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's like smoking: if you haven't started, don't XD

[–] mutual_ayed@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 day ago (5 children)

As a fellow meat crayon I agree

[–] KayLeadfoot@fedia.io 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Bahaha, that one is new to me.

~~Back when I worked on an ambulance, we called the no helmet guys organ donors.~~

This comment was brought to you by PTSD, and has been redacted in a rare moment of sobriety.

[–] mutual_ayed@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I also rammed 10cc spikes at the back of the bus, the world needs organ donors and motorcycles provide a great service for that. Hope your EMT career was short lived but rewarding.

[–] KayLeadfoot@fedia.io 2 points 1 day ago

My EMT career was both short lived and rewarding, right back at ya :)

[–] Klear@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Negative. I'm a meat popsicle.

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[–] kreskin@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I wonder if a state court judge could mandate its use as unsafe?

[–] slaneesh_is_right@lemmy.org 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They are illegal in every developed country.

[–] merdaverse@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

But muh innovation! How are genius CEOs supposed to innovate if they can't use the public at large as guinea pigs??

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 28 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Five years ago, you could not have brought this up without Musk simps defending it.

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[–] Visstix@lemmy.world 30 points 2 days ago (21 children)

Why is self-driving even allowed?

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[–] lnxtx@feddit.nl 36 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Stop dehumanizing drivers who killed people.
Feature, wrongly called, Full Self-Driving, shall be supervised at any time.

[–] SouthEndSunset@lemm.ee 28 points 2 days ago

If you’re going to say your car has “full self driving”, it should have that, not “full self driving (but needs monitoring.)” or “full self driving (but it disconnects 2 seconds before impact.)”.

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