Tesla's Autopilot with Full Self Driving is an impressive Level 2 advanced driver assistance system. But it isn't anywhere near fault-proof and needs to be monitored closely while in use. Just ask San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, who was in a crash in his 2023 Tesla Model S on July 14. Not long after the crash, Shanahan told reporters in his office that the crash was his fault, despite the other driver initially being blamed. And he maintains that it was his fault, even after recently admitting that Autopilot was engaged during the accident.
Shanahan says he was driving southbound on Alma Street in Palo Alto, California in his 2023 Tesla Model S with Autopilot on. He was doing 20 mph, with his phone on his lap, and the phone slid off in between the seats. He looked down to get it, and in those few seconds, he veered into oncoming traffic and collided with a 2025 Mercedes GLC 300. Interestingly, the 21-year-old woman who was driving the Mercedes was initially blamed for the accident in public, claiming she made an unsafe turn. However, Shanahan claims otherwise.
