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Comment by soheil | Hacker News Reader

How is this any different than any other car having a mechanical problem "in the middle of a highway"? Cars break down all the time. Using the term "locks up" makes it sound like the car is running Window 95 and it just got the blue screen of death. For all we know this could be a mechanical issue that led the car to not start. Even if it's a computer related issue to use the term "locks up" is still pretty uncalled for. There are computer modules in almost any modern car that control the engine and other mechanical aspect of the car that can and do fail regularly leading to all sorts of failures, but nobody says their car "locks up" when that happens.

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From my reading the issue is not that the car stopped working but it actually locked up so you can't push it to the side. I hope we get more info what was the cause, would be hilarious if it was some multimedia issue.

This can happen to any car if there is a transmission failure.

Maybe, soem rare issue that affects you inthe midle of a high way so you get stuck and can't put the car on neutral and coast to the side.

But to be fair we would need to know why this was the safest thing that a Tesla could do, hopefully we will get more info that is not quickly DMCA.

And before someone would label me some anti-Tesla something, I was also critique of Uber self driving and I am a big critique of other big tech giants so if you label me you need a more generic term.

> so if you label me you need a more generic term.

Does Luddite work for you?

No, maybe something with anti-corporation. Waymo seems miles better then Tesla so I can be more objective when the tech is actual good.

The car is "locked up" on purpose, because it applies parking brakes for safety reasons.

It's not a multimedia issue (infotainment). There's a separate driving computer with sufficient redundancy functionality. It's likely a problem with 12V power if the critical functionality freezes.

You can even reboot the infotainment system (the main screen) when driving and the car drivers perfectly fine.

Why no manual override also for safety reasons ?

You can't provide manual override for electronically controlled system in the case of power failure. To disengage an electronic parking brake, at least in Teslas, you need power. If there's a serious problem in power supply (of 12V power), the computer must put the car in the likely safest configuration and shutdown to prevent any kind of erratical behaviour.

Anyway, in an unlikely situation that the driver fails to pull off safely in case of critical system failure (remember, steering and brakes always work), and the car stops on lane, you probably don't want to risk your life by pushing the car. For a towing truck the parking brake is not much a problem.

>you probably don't want to risk your life by pushing the car.

Does the car come with emergency sings to place on the road so you don't kill others with an abandoned car in middle of the street? (I am not sure if in US first aid kit and emergency stuff(signs,fire extinguisher) are mandatory)

Mine came with an emergency triangle (I'm in EU).

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