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Tesla owner credits Autopilot for avoiding disaster in odd collision with distracted driver
A Tesla Model 3 owner is thanking his vehicle’s Autopilot system for saving his vehicle from fishtailing out of control after contact with a distracted driver.
During a nighttime drive on California Highway 880, a Model 3 owner who wished to be referred to as Rorlover, was minding his own business and using Tesla’s Autopilot functionality to travel. Suddenly, a Nissan sedan quickly approached the all-electric vehicle from the rear, shifted lanes, and appeared to attempt a “pit maneuver.” The contact sent the Nissan spinning into the left-hand retaining wall, while the Model 3 maintained control and safely slowed down and came to a halt on the shoulder of the road.
“I do credit the Tesla Autopilot for keeping the car heading straight after being hit,” Rorlover said to Teslarati. “I was really quite impressed.”
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- Credit: u/Rorlover11 on Reddit
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- Credit: u/Rorlover11 on Reddit
Rorlover initially posted the incident on a Subreddit, and although the incident appeared to be on purpose, Rorlover says the driver was actually distracted and accidentally made contact with his Tesla.
“The police report confirms there was nothing but a young and distracted driver. No road rage or attempted murder—hopefully, they’ve learned their lesson.”
The impact caused significant damage to the rear passenger door on the driver’s side of the Model 3, but it was by far the more fortunate vehicle in the event. The Nissan collided head-on with a jersey wall, sending debris all over the highway and ultimately lead to a six-vehicle pile-up that shut down the side of the highway the two cars were traveling on.
Rorlover walked away from the incident unharmed. The driver of the Nissan was taken to the hospital after a brief interview with Police, but the nature of their injuries is unknown.
The Model 3’s weight, which is supported by a large battery pack that gives the vehicle a low center of gravity, may have assisted in the car’s ability to maintain control. However, Rorlover’s description of the accident implies that Autopilot deserves more of the credit than the car’s weight distribution. Rorlover shared an exclusive video of the accident with Teslarati and stated that the impressive nature of Autopilot’s handling could be recognized from the Dashcam perspective of the vehicle.
“I didn’t share it initially as it’s not that exciting, unless you know it’s Autopilot doing the steering,” he said.
Tesla has made significant strides in its development of self-driving characteristics this year. In addition to releasing a more broad Autopilot functionality earlier this year that included driving on City Streets and Automatic Traffic Light Navigation, Tesla also rolled out its Full Self-Driving Beta in October. The release has revealed Tesla’s complex self-driving software, and CEO Elon Musk expects a Level 5 Autonomy version to be released next year.
The Model 3 already holds a Top Safety Pick+ recommendation from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) and also achieved the lowest probability of injury of any vehicle ever tested by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). With its focus on semi-autonomous driving features, the inclusion of basic Autopilot with any Tesla car hints toward an even more robust safety system. After Autopilot prevented the Model 3 from fishtailing and colliding with a jersey wall, perhaps the system could contribute to even higher safety ratings in future tests.
Tesla has given its biggest hint that Full Self-Driving in Europe is imminent, as a new feature seems to show that the company is preparing for frequent border crossings.
Tesla owner and influencer BLKMDL3, also known as Zack, recently took his Tesla to the border of California and Mexico at Tijuana, and at the international crossing, Full Self-Driving showed an interesting message: “Upcoming country border — FSD (Supervised) will become unavailable.”
FSD now shows a new message when approaching an international border crossing.
Stayed engaged the whole way as we crossed the border and worked great in Mexico! pic.twitter.com/bDzyLnyq0g
— Zack (@BLKMDL3) January 26, 2026
Due to regulatory approvals, once a Tesla operating on Full Self-Driving enters a new country, it is required to comply with the laws and regulations that are applicable to that territory. Even if legal, it seems Tesla will shut off FSD temporarily, confirming it is in a location where operation is approved.
This is something that will be extremely important in Europe, as crossing borders there is like crossing states in the U.S.; it’s pretty frequent compared to life in America, Canada, and Mexico.
Tesla has been working to get FSD approved in Europe for several years, and it has been getting close to being able to offer it to owners on the continent. However, it is still working through a lot of the red tape that is necessary for European regulators to approve use of the system on their continent.
This feature seems to be one that would be extremely useful in Europe, considering the fact that crossing borders into other countries is much more frequent than here in the U.S., and would cater to an area where approvals would differ.
Tesla has been testing FSD in Spain, France, England, and other European countries, and plans to continue expanding this effort. European owners have been fighting for a very long time to utilize the functionality, but the red tape has been the biggest bottleneck in the process.
Tesla Europe builds momentum with expanding FSD demos and regional launches
Tesla operates Full Self-Driving in the United States, China, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Elon Musk
SpaceX Starship V3 gets launch date update from Elon Musk
The first flight of Starship Version 3 and its new Raptor V3 engines could happen as early as March.
Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX’s next Starship launch, Flight 12, is expected in about six weeks. This suggests that the first flight of Starship Version 3 and its new Raptor V3 engines could happen as early as March.
In a post on X, Elon Musk stated that the next Starship launch is in six weeks. He accompanied his announcement with a photo that seemed to have been taken when Starship’s upper stage was just about to separate from the Super Heavy Booster. Musk did not state whether SpaceX will attempt to catch the Super Heavy Booster during the upcoming flight.
The upcoming flight will mark the debut of Starship V3. The upgraded design includes the new Raptor V3 engine, which is expected to have nearly twice the thrust of the original Raptor 1, at a fraction of the cost and with significantly reduced weight. The Starship V3 platform is also expected to be optimized for manufacturability.
The Starship V3 Flight 12 launch timeline comes as SpaceX pursues an aggressive development cadence for the fully reusable launch system. Previous iterations of Starship have racked up a mixed but notable string of test flights, including multiple integrated flight tests in 2025.
Interestingly enough, SpaceX has teased an aggressive timeframe for Starship V3’s first flight. Way back in late November, SpaceX noted on X that it will be aiming to launch Starship V3’s maiden flight in the first quarter of 2026. This was despite setbacks like a structural anomaly on the first V3 booster during ground testing.
“Starship’s twelfth flight test remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026,” the company wrote in its post on X.
News
Tesla China rolls out Model 3 insurance subsidy through February
Eligible customers purchasing a Model 3 by February 28 can receive an insurance subsidy worth RMB 8,000 (about $1,150).
Tesla has rolled out a new insurance subsidy for Model 3 buyers in China, adding another incentive as the automaker steps up promotions in the world’s largest electric vehicle market.
Eligible customers purchasing a Model 3 by February 28 can receive an insurance subsidy worth RMB 8,000 (about $1,150).
A limited-time subsidy
The insurance subsidy, which was announced by Tesla China on Weibo, applies to the Model 3 RWD, Long Range RWD, and Long Range AWD variants. Tesla stated that the offer is available to buyers who complete their purchase on or before February 28, as noted in a CNEV Post report. The starting prices for these variants are RMB 235,500, RMB 259,500, and RMB 285,500, respectively.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance, which starts at RMB 339,500, is excluded from the subsidy. The company has previously used insurance incentives at the beginning of the year to address softer seasonal demand in China’s auto market. The program is typically phased out as sales conditions stabilize over the year.
China’s electric vehicle market
The insurance subsidy followed Tesla’s launch of a 7-year low-interest financing plan in China on January 6, which is aimed at improving vehicle affordability amid changing policy conditions. After Tesla introduced the financing program, several automakers, such as Xiaomi, Li Auto, Xpeng, and Voyah, introduced similar long-term financing options.
China’s electric vehicle market has faced additional headwinds entering 2026. Buyers of new energy vehicles are now subject to a 5% purchase tax, compared with the previous full exemption. At the same time, vehicle trade-in subsidies in several cities are expected to expire in mid-November.
Tesla’s overall sales in China declined in 2025, with deliveries totaling 625,698 vehicles, down 4.78% year-over-year. Model 3 deliveries increased 13.33% to 200,361 units, while Model Y deliveries, which were hampered by the changeover to the new Model Y in the first quarter, fell 11.45% to 425,337 units.
Tesla gives its biggest hint that Full Self-Driving in Europe is imminent
SpaceX Starship V3 gets launch date update from Elon Musk
