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Here is his experience:


I have no problem with his story. My experience:

• Full Self Driving (and AutoPilot) needs mentoring - the instruction and disclaimer are easy for new drivers to skim over. We have a term for that phenomena, RTFM (Read The Fine Manual) but the corollary is "and understand it."
• Edge case flaws - sometimes called "chasing the nines" as in 99% done, 99.9% done, 99.99% done, etc, etc. In this case:
  • Wearing glasses - the instructions point out wearing sun glasses and other glasses can revert from hands free to steering nag mode. Stien wears glasses which a mentor would point out.
  • My testing found UV protecting safety glasses also act like sun glasses and disables, hands free driving mode.
  • If you don't read the manual, an alert text shows up on the screen and he reports 'deliberately looking away' which makes it likely the alert message was not seen.
• His accident scenario matches my...

Small NC town. Lots of hybrids and Teslas around on the roads. Occasional other EVs. I'm in for routine service on a 5 year old Rav4h. Next door is a GM/Chevy dealership, other side a Nissan dealership.

Model S pulls up in the front and hooks up to the charger.
Me: If you don't mind, why are you charging here rather than at the Supercharger 4 miles up the road.
He: Because I work here and will be here for 11 hours. We have a charger in front and one in back.

Half hour later wandering the lots in front on a day everyone else stayed home because of a storm and flooding. Came upon 2 sales types camped out in front of the front door of the dealership to snare any customer.
Me: Tough sales day.
They: Yea, not a prospect in sight all day.
Me: Ever sell any EVs?
They: No not really. I think we have one on the back lot that just came in. Can't recommend them, they seem to get traded back in 2 months...sometimes the same car repeatedly.