Pedestrian killed after Tesla in 'Full Self-Driving' mode hits him on highway
A 71-year-old man died after a Tesla running Full Self-Driving struck him on I-80 near Vallejo, California, the latest in a string of fatal and serious crashes involving the software.
What happened: Early Thursday morning, a 71-year-old man died after being struck by a Tesla traveling about 70 mph on I-80 near Vallejo, California. The California Highway Patrol said the pedestrian walked onto the freeway from the right shoulder. The 26-year-old driver stayed at the scene and told officers the car was running Tesla's Full Self-Driving feature. Dashcam footage reviewed by CHP showed the brakes applied and the car steering left just before impact, but the Tesla's right front still struck the man. He was later hit by at least one more vehicle while lying on the road; that driver did not stop.
Why it matters: This is not an isolated case. Last week, a Tesla on FSD hit a parked police cruiser on the same stretch of highway, injuring two officers, after the driver reportedly fell asleep. In 2023, a Tesla on FSD killed a woman in Arizona who was directing traffic around a stalled vehicle; Tesla settled that lawsuit this year for an undisclosed amount. Each case raises the same unresolved question: when a car marketed as having 'Full Self-Driving' crashes, how much of the failure sits with the software, the human who is supposed to be supervising it, or both?
How it works, plainly: Despite its name, Tesla's Full Self-Driving is not autonomous. It still legally requires a human driver paying full attention and ready to take over instantly. Tesla vehicles rely only on cameras to see the road, with no radar or lidar backup that other self-driving systems use. In the 2023 Arizona case, footage suggested sun glare may have confused the car's cameras. In this crash, CHP's statement does not make clear whether the braking and steering it described were initiated by the software or by the driver reacting manually.
The rollout: CHP has repeatedly reminded drivers that FSD does not remove their responsibility to control the vehicle, a message it issued again after last week's police-cruiser crash. Details on the Vallejo death remain limited, and a pedestrian stepping onto a dark highway would be difficult for any driver, human or automated, to avoid in time. Investigators have not said how much warning the system or the driver had before impact, and no new regulatory action has been announced in response to this specific crash.