Self-driving Tesla Model 3 runs down child dummy in safety test: Watch video

Elon Musk’s Tesla seems to be in trouble as it fails yet another car safety test. An advocacy group has called on the carmaker to ban its Full Self-Driving (FSD) Technology as it allegedly failed to notice a child-sized object in its path.  

Dan O’Dowd, CEO and founder of The Dawn Project tweeted, “Our new safety test of Elon Musk’s full self-driving Teslas discovered that they will indiscriminately mow down children. Today, The Dawn Project launches a nationwide TV ad campaign demanding NHTSA’s full ban [on] full self-driving until Elon Musk proves it won’t mow down children.” 

The Dawn Project’s report read, “A Tesla Model 3 equipped with full self-driving software repeatedly struck the child mannequin in a manner that would be fatal to an actual child. The software is a demonstrable danger to human life and must be removed from the market immediately.” 

The test used a Tesla Model 3 equipped with the latest FSD version 10.12.2 to conduct safety tests that would demonstrate if the car brakes for children in its path.  

Its blog read, “The Tesla was in full self-driving mode for the June 21, 2022 test. The vehicle drove straight down two rows of cones (120 yards in length) with a child-sized mannequin in its path. There was no input or interference from the test driver.”

This is not the first time that Tesla has failed car safety tests. Back in 2021, Tesla Model 3 failed the Korea NCAP test wherein the Model 3 hit some of its dummy pedestrians and cyclists at several speeds. Due to this, it received only 3-star ratings for pedestrian safety and accident prevention safety. In 2013, Tesla Model S broke the car safety testing equipment.