Watch: Did this Tesla's sensors just mistake the moon for a traffic light?

Some people like to slow down when they drive to take in the summer sky—and apparently some cars do, too

Jil McIntosh

Jul 25, 2021 • July 25, 2021 • 1 minute read • Join the conversation

2021 Tesla Model S Plaid Photo by Tesla

Astronauts have walked on it, while romantic evenings and werewolves depend on it, but now the moon has a new identity as a traffic light.

At least that’s according to one Tesla owner, who claims that his car kept mistaking the moon for a yellow traffic light and slowing down for it.

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Hey @elonmusk you might want to have your team look into the moon tricking the autopilot system. The car thinks the moon is a yellow traffic light and wanted to keep slowing down. 🤦🏼 @Teslarati @teslaownersSV @TeslaJoy pic.twitter.com/6iPEsLAudD
— Jordan Nelson (@JordanTeslaTech) July 23, 2021

The feature is called Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control. It’s part of the Autopilot system, and specifically, the version that Tesla calls “Full Self-Driving Capability.” It initially rolled out to a small number of vehicle owners as a beta version in early 2020, and was then released in a software update later that year.

The system recognizes lights and stop signs, and when the car’s on the automatic driving mode, will react to them. It notifies the driver that it’s going to slow down, and then comes to a stop if required. Despite the AutoPilot and “Full Self-Driving” names, Tesla warns that both “require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.” Drivers also have to pay attention when the traffic light recognition kicks in, “because this feature may not stop for all traffic controls.”

But for this particular driver, it may even slow down for items that aren’t traffic controls. Hey, we’ve all stopped to look at the full moon — why shouldn’t a car notice how nice it looks, and stop for it, too?