Autonomous driving may be the future, but the present still has a lot of explaining to do. Especially when cars with so-called “Full Self-Driving” capabilities start careening off the road for no obvious reason.

That said, it’s rare to see what we just have in a newly released set of videos involving a Tesla. According to the title, it shows a crash while running what Tesla calls its autonomous system, Full Self-Driving (Supervised). What’s worse, though, is that it seems to do so without rhyme or reason in broad daylight with no traffic on a straight road.

More: Tesla Stiffs Cybertruck Owners On Another Promised Feature

Tesla famously uses vision-based software and hardware to run its semi-autonomous Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software. In theory, it makes complete sense since we humans also drive almost entirely via vision-based mechanics. In practice, though, there are some major concerns, and this video highlights them. We’ll circle back to that.

The Incident: Straight Road, Sharp Left Turn

A YouTube channel recently uploaded four videos showing each side of a car during a crash. They say this is a Model 3 and that it’s running FSD 13.2.8, which is almost the latest available version. On May 11, Tesla released 13.2.8, but this crash happened on February 26 so indeed, it was up to date given that information.

That said, what the video shows is the most shocking part of this entire situation. Across three of the four clips, we see the car moving for 45 seconds. In all of them, everything appears totally normal for the first 31 seconds as the car trundles down a two-lane road. Then, just as a car passes going the opposite way, all hell seems to break loose.

The car turns hard to the left, goes across the opposing traffic lane, goes off the road, and hits a tree before rolling over. From the moment it begins to turn to the moment it impacts the tree is less than three seconds. While that’s tough to swallow, it’s the conditions that really make this a bad deal for Tesla.

The road was perfectly straight. This appears to be at some time in the relatively early or later part of the day as the shadows cast on the ground are long. Despite that, the sun is bright and seemingly unobstructed by clouds, so there’s no lack of lighting in the scene. Finally, there’s no complex traffic situation here with markings, other cars, or road signs.

Still, for whatever reason, it appears as though this car allegedly on FSD just decided that it needed to leave the roadway and did exactly that. Adding even more confusion to this crash are videos of YouTubers testing FSD against inanimate objects on the road. In almost every case, the technology focuses on slowing itself down, stopping even, to avoid an obstacle. Very rarely does it try this sort of hard steering input at speed.

The Lidar Elephant in the Room

And this brings us back to vision-based autonomous driving systems. Again, we humans use vision to determine how to control our cars. Tesla is trying to do that too, but it’s caught flack, and I suspect is about to catch far more, over its choice to skip using lidar and radar tech.

While vision can work, and obviously does for most people on most days, Lidar and radar offer the ability to easily see through bad weather conditions like fog or haze. They could simply be used as a redundancy to confirm what a vision-based system thinks it sees too. Nevertheless, Tesla ditched it years ago and its CEO Elon Musk appears committed to never bringing it back.

Reports From The Driver

According to the person who posted the videos on Reddit, he was going around 55 mph when the crash happened. He says of the experience, “I loved the FSD until this happened. I was a full believer in autonomous vehicles until this happened to me. Lesson learned.” Thankfully, the only injuries he suffered included a cut on his chin, some lower-back discomfort, and “emotional damage,” as he calls it.

It’s worth pointing out that there are many unknowns here. While there appears to be no reason to suspect these videos and their description are inaccurate, there could be more to the story that we’re not being told. If that doesn’t end up being the case, though, Tesla is likely in a lot of hot water over this. The owner has submitted requests for all of the data relating to the crash so hopefully more of that sees the light of day.

Previous crashes involving the software typically offered some sort of purchase for Tesla defenders to cling to. Based on everything available in the four videos here, it appears as though FSD just made its most blatant mistake in the public sphere.

If this is possible with the hardware and software running Tesla’s planned Robotaxi service, it might have to be even more careful than it’s already planning on being. When asked if he’d ever buy another Tesla, the owner of this car’s words were damning. “I want another but would NEVER use FSD again.” Yeah, I think we can all understand why.

A Cybertruck driver recently found himself in a terrifying situation after what he claims was an aggressive move by another motorist on a California highway ended with his truck upside down. The incident occurred in broad daylight near Ukiah, and the entire event was captured by the Tesla’s onboard cameras.

The footage, later shared on YouTube by the Wham Baam Teslacam channel, shows how the crash unfolded. A black Ram 1500 overtakes the Cybertruck, then abruptly cuts into the right lane just ahead of it. Moments later, the Ram driver taps the brakes, prompting the Cybertruck driver to move left in an attempt to pass. That’s when things take a turn – literally.

More: BMW M4 Took A Wrong Turn Into The Mountain

The Ram swerves into the Tesla’s path, pulling off what appears to be an unintentional PIT maneuver that forces the Cybertruck off the highway. As it veers off the road, the slad-sided electric truck slams sideways into a ditch, causing it to roll over. While the truck lay upside down, its sensors detected the crash and automatically alerted emergency services. Fortunately, the driver wasn’t seriously injured, though he was taken to the hospital by ambulance after reporting back pain.

Copart

According to the Tesla owner, he had no prior interaction with the Ram driver, something he says is backed up by the footage he shared with police. After reviewing the video, the California Highway Patrol has reportedly charged the Ram driver with vehicular assault, though official confirmation from authorities has not been released publicly.

More: Cybertruck Was Just Charging Until Chaos Showed Up With A V8 And No Grip

The aftermath wasn’t kind to the Tesla. The truck sustained heavy damage to its roof, wheels, suspension, and body panels. It later appeared on Copart, looking far worse for wear. Some parts may be salvageable, but the cost of repairing such a heavily damaged vehicle likely outweighs any benefit. The driver is presumably seeking reimbursement through his insurance provider.

As for motive, nothing has been officially confirmed. However, the incident brings to mind other recent reports of road rage or hostility directed at Tesla drivers. Unlike the usual vandalism or minor clashes, though, this sort of encounter could have ended far more dangerously. With any luck, the Ram driver, if found responsible, will think twice before acting on impulse behind the wheel.

Screenshot Wham Baam Teslacam/Copart

Not too long ago, road rage incidents were mostly fleeting anecdotes – heated moments that vanished as quickly as they came. A decade or so ago, dashcams were still niche gadgets and the idea of catching someone’s highway tantrum on video was far from routine. Of course, bullying Teslas wasn’t as popular then either. Now, the combination brings us a new situation where those who want to bully a Tesla need to recognize that they’re on camera. Several cameras in fact.

Recently in Florida, one Tesla driver experienced this firsthand. While the original video has since been taken down from the Facebook group that shared it, it captured a driver in a Mazda sedan cruising up beside a Cybertruck before abruptly cutting it off on the highway for no appreciable reason. Perhaps they forgot Teslas come equipped with more cameras than a low-budget reality show. Either way, the footage shows the Mazda driver clearly sizing up the truck just before swerving ahead.

More: Driver’s Fiery Road Rage Rant Swiftly Hit By Karma

It then captured the passenger in the Mazda giving the Cybertruck driver the bird. Of course, it also caught the very unique touches on the sedan including a decal on the door, a kayak and storage bin on the roof, and a disc golf goal on the hitch. The driver found the Mazda owner on social media only a few hours later but declined to comment based on their concerns about their safety.

Tesla owners everywhere are making this point all too clear these days. On a separate occasion, a group of people walked by a Cybertruck. Some flipped the Tesla the bird and one person appeared to draw on the vehicle with a black marker. The owner of the pickup has every right to post online and to try to hold these folks accountable.

The only thing better than Brandon Joseph Belez getting arrested and prosecuted for keying this Tesla is knowing this video will be the first thing every potential future employer will see right before offering the job to anyone else not this stupid. pic.twitter.com/crGT7mU0bf

— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) March 20, 2025

In another Cybertruck-related incident, a person vandalized the side of the pickup before walking away. Once again, the cameras caught everything. In this case, though, the owner ended up finding out who the perp was. In fact, the person evidently ended up with two charges of criminal mischief.

Keep in mind that this isn’t only a Tesla-centric thing. Rivian’s vehicles come equipped with full 360-degree recording. BMW offers a similar feature, and automakers like Mercedes and MINI have integrated dashcams available too. Subaru, Toyota, and Lexus also offer built-in options, some more robust than others.

More: Elon Musk Hater Kicks A Cybertruck And Instantly Regrets It

Road rage has never been a good idea, but now it’s not just dangerous, it’s incredibly easy to document. Whether you’re flipping off a stranger, cutting someone off, or dragging a disc golf basket around while doing it, there’s a good chance someone’s camera system is rolling. And depending on the car, it might be recording from multiple angles, all in high definition, ready for both the internet and the authorities.

Screenshot / Video Reddit

Image Credit: A Facebook User