Tesla Autopilot Predicts a Car Crash

2017 has just begun -- but, as this video shows, the future is already, in fact, here.

We've talked about self-driving cars before; most notably, how these smart vehicles could affect insurance premiums (both negatively and positively for consumers and insurers!). However, the biggest "pro" on the Self-Driving Cars Pro/Con list, is, of course, the potential for safer driving conditions and fewer accidents.

Realizing that an accident was about to occur on the A2 highway in the Netherlands, the Tesla’s autopilot feature, which assists the car to sense what’s up ahead by utilizing safe-driving-pattern monitoring, triggered the alarm and the emergency braking system moments before the crash unfolded:

Tesla is expected to debut its Enhanced Autopilot very soon. Enhanced Autopilot includes features that match speed to traffic conditions, keep within a lane, automatically change lanes without requiring driver input, transition from one freeway to another, exit the freeway when the destination is near, self-park when near a parking spot and be summoned to and from a driver's garage. Along with improved accident-avoidance technology, the Autopilot will also feature self-parking and automatic lane-changing capabilities.The company claims their self-driving capability provides a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver.

“The foundation is laid for cars to be fully autonomous at a safety level we believe to be at least twice that of a person, maybe better,” said Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla.

We're all for anything that makes driving safer -- if self-driving cars can prevent even one accident, that's a great thing. And, of course, fewer accidents mean lower premiums for everyone, which is definitely something to celebrate!

Sources: Tesla | CNBC

Photo credit: Tesla