Watch a Tesla Model 3 drive itself straight into a truck

Footage of a bizarre crash on a Taiwanese highway has captured a Tesla Model 3 driver inexplicably crash head-on into an overturned truck.

The clip was first seen by Twitter users who were quick to ponder what actually went down – whether the driver was paying attention, whether Tesla’s Autopilot system was running or if something happened to the driver.

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Turns out the Tesla driver allegedly just expected his Model 3 to take care of the situation for him.

According to CNA.com.tw, the driver of the overturned truck was forced to swerve to avoid a slowed car in front and ended up losing control which flipped the truck onto its side right in the fastest lane of the highway.

Shortly thereafter, along comes the Tesla Model 3 unfazed by the truck driver standing perilously close to danger and seemingly ignorant of the massive overturned truck blocking the lane.

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The driver of the Tesla was, amazingly, unharmed, which is surprising given the intensity of the crash that saw the truck shunted a number of metres forward, and the Tesla itself embedded into the load area of the truck.

A loosely-translated CNA report says that he had Tesla’s Autopilot on and locked to 110km/h, though the system is not directly referenced in the story.

“He thought that the car itself would detect the obstacle and automatically brake, but he was surprised that the car did not slow down,” the article says.

It’s not the first time that motorists have over-relied on a Tesla’s ability to drive itself, with a US man dying as a result of a crash partly attiributed to Tesla’s Autopilot.

The two incidents are actually eerily similar, with the US accident also involving a large truck with a white side - the same view that confronted our Taiwanese friend in his Model 3.

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At the end of the day, genuine level-four or five autonomous cars do not exist yet - and may never - and full attention should be paid when operating a Tesla, just as you would in any other car.