Tesla on FSD Beta Folds Mirrors Automatically and People Are Split Over It

So far, the results are mixed. The FSD Beta is clearly an improvement over the standard Autopilot, but at the same time, it's far from being the finished product. The fact it has "Beta" in its name should be an obvious hint in that sense.

We watched a Model 3 using the driving-aid suite make a mess out of San Francisco's Lombard Street, failing to deal with its steep gradient and tight corners combination. We've also seen another Model 3 nearly taking out its anger on a poor Ford parked on the side of the road while attempting what looked like a fairly simple left turn.

For all these incidents, though, there are countless miles where the FSD Beta does what it's supposed to do that you won't hear about because, frankly, it would make for some very boring writing. Besides, we've already expressed how we feel about Tesla's decision to roll out the upgrade and we haven't changed our minds.

Now, though, a YouTube user posted a short clip that seems to have people split over whether the car's action was commendable or more of a liability. While cruising with the AI at the helm, the Tesla found itself in an arguably tight space: it had a concrete barrier to its left and a big truck on its right.

As the road turned right, even though the truck never left its lane, the system decided it was safer to fold the side mirrors in despite the fact a human driver would have never done that. The mirrors stayed folded for less than a second before resuming their natural position.

Some people like the idea of the vehicle taking initiative, others feel it hampers one of Autopilot's main directives that says the driver should always be aware of what's around them and ready to jump in. With the mirrors folded, the first part is more difficult to do.

The first group argues that tucking the mirrors is just a precaution and is preferable to lose them for a few seconds (or less, as was the case here) than for the rest of the trip, assuming something does clip them. The second group feels that it puts the driver in an awkward situation. If the system suddenly decided the entire situation was too much and relayed the control back to the driver - which can happen - they would be left without the tools needed to make the right decisions.

It's a tough one to call. If you ask us, we think that, for the time being, we'd side with the latter. It's OK for the AI to make any decision it wants once it knows it can sort out any situation it might find itself in. Now, though, when it so easily lets go of the steering wheel whenever it sees a squirrel run by, it shouldn't do it since it's not fair toward the driver.

Also, just look at the truck's representation on the EV's display: it's all over the place. If that's what the vehicle sees, it's a miracle it didn't just stop to put some distance between itself and that erratic driver. That's what any driver would have done if they saw a vehicle jumping around its lane like that.

Whether it was skill or pure luck, the FSD Beta managed to pull the EV unscathed out of that situation. While that's certainly what mattered the most to the owner of that vehicle, in the grand scheme of things, it appears to be a bit more complicated than that. Who knew something as little as folding the mirrors could become such a huge talking point? On the other hand, who knew cars would someday aspire to drive themselves?