Tesla Auto Pilot kept me safer than ever today

[mspohr]

Note that on the highway it will not adjust speed when the speed limit changes. Just something to be aware of.

Just to be more specific here... If you assume "highway" to mean a controlled access divided freeway, then yes, it will not adjust for speed.
However, if you're using AP on any other highway, it will adjust your speed to the posted speed limit signs (plus your offset up to 5 mph). I found this very useful on a recent trip through Yellowstone and the Tetons where there are many speed limit changes for turnouts and various sections of road. I found the AP very conscientious in reading the speed limit sign changes and adjusting the speed of the car. Since the park service patrol is very vigorous in enforcing the speed limit, I found this feature very useful to make sure that I was not exceeding the posted speed limit which could change every few miles.

 

[KaiserSoze]

Yet.

I'll bet it will eventually, too. I just don't want @electricity to get a speeding ticket in the interim. ;-)

 

[electricity]

I believe that you can only set it for 5mph faster than the posted speed on non-divided highways. On divided highways, you can exceed that.

Strangely enough, I go slower when on AP. Without it, I can't stand the tedium of driving, so I speed. With AP, I remain calmly attentive, unstressed, and I don't mind being on the road fractionally longer. Unexpected consequence.

that is exactly how I feel and what i ment when I said I don't speed anymore. As soon as I turn it off , I start to drive more agressively without thinking.

 

[vandacca]

Before the negativity takes over this thread, let me confess that AP does a much better job of maintaining the lanes than I do. So much so that my family notices when I am not on AP.

AP must be working and effective as when I'm driving my wife is now complaining whenever it is off. Doesn't trust the lug in the drivers seat!

I hope AutoPilot doesn't invoke feelings of inadequacy.

 

[Waldek]

I love my AP I wish I could give him/her a hug... oh well I can hug my X for doing great job HELPING me drive. It helps me when I am distracted and it does much better job than me in such cases. I can then focus more on supervising its job and taking over if needed. However I can't imaging when people can just give full control to AP! It is not yet designed that way and ready for this... and it states that in the manual! However as driver assistance it is so great! I have a loaner MS P85 for last week (my X is in the service getting driver doors fixed) and I miss AP so badly... I miss my X but I miss AP more

 

[mf66]

AP makes your "driving" more consistent. If you chose to speed you can ( on right roads). If you set it at speed limit it will do that as well. It's all about consistency- lane control, speed control,etc. you are removing the human variation in focus, attention, etc.

Btw- on a non divided highway you can go faster than 5 over limit. Just push down gas pedal. Car will self drive but you can exceed speed..when you let off it will go back to set limits. I have not tested him much o er limit it will allow but I did +10 for miles...

 

[mspohr]

AP makes your "driving" more consistent. If you chose to speed you can ( on right roads). If you set it at speed limit it will do that as well. It's all about consistency- lane control, speed control,etc. you are removing the human variation in focus, attention, etc.

Btw- on a non divided highway you can go faster than 5 over limit. Just push down gas pedal. Car will self drive but you can exceed speed..when you let off it will go back to set limits. I have not tested him much o er limit it will allow but I did +10 for miles...

I've passed cars on two lane roads with AP engaged. Just press on the gas pedal and hit turn signal to move to other lane and it will go faster and pass... I would guess that I go significantly faster than set speed (I don't like to dawdle when passing).

 

[electricity]

Another thing while on AP is you have the chance to notice how bad everyone else drives, and how much you wish everyone was on AP like you.

 

[mf66]

The reality is that many drivers are already on "autopilot". Look out the window in Chicago and 30% are looking at their phones, applying makeup, etc.

I feel very safe when using autopilot. Do I use it in residential areas - no. Too many things beyond its control. In stop and go traffic and on straight highways that aren't crowded it is ideal. Do you use cruise control everywhere you drive? No. Is cruise control safe? Yes. Do people have accidents because of cruise control? Yes. Does anyone cover that in media? No. We call them dumb or bad drivers....

 

[electricity]

The reality is that many drivers are already on "autopilot". Look out the window in Chicago and 30% are looking at their phones, applying makeup, etc.

I feel very safe when using autopilot. Do I use it in residential areas - no. Too many things beyond its control. In stop and go traffic and on straight highways that aren't crowded it is ideal. Do you use cruise control everywhere you drive? No. Is cruise control safe? Yes. Do people have accidents because of cruise control? Yes. Does anyone cover that in media? No. We call them dumb or bad drivers....

Yep, you get it, I get it and most of us definetly get it.

 

[mf66]

I love AP. There have been two events that gave me pause.
1) pull up to light. Car slows down. Motorcycle in front of me. Sensors see and are aware of a motorcycle in front of me. He is in far left side of lane. Another motorcycle in far right side of the lane to the left. They are side by side talking to each on the "side" of their respective lanes. Motorcycle in front of me leans over to tell him something and car no longer senses motorcycle and started to move forward. I hit brakes. Cars stops. Would it have hit motorcycle ? Don't know. Assume it may have seen the motorcycle but given its position in lane maybe not?
2). AP on non divided road. Car In front of me. Sensor sees it. Get in section where lines on road are bad. AP uses car in front of me to follow as it works to figure out lane markings. This is an issue in Chicago given road conditions. Car decides to turn left abruptly. AP assumes road turns and starts to "follow" the turning car. I hit brakes. Car slows down and I retake control. Would it have followed it all the way through the turn? No way to know. I stopped it right as it started.
Nothing bad happened. Would it have figure it out ? I don't know. I am treating it like assisted driving.

 

[Casavant]

I love AP. There have been two events that gave me pause.
1) pull up to light. Car slows down. Motorcycle in front of me. Sensors see and are aware of a motorcycle in front of me. He is in far left side of lane. Another motorcycle in far right side of the lane to the left. They are side by side talking to each on the "side" of their respective lanes. Motorcycle in front of me leans over to tell him something and car no longer senses motorcycle and started to move forward. I hit brakes. Cars stops. Would it have hit motorcycle ? Don't know. Assume it may have seen the motorcycle but given its position in lane maybe not?
2). AP on non divided road. Car In front of me. Sensor sees it. Get in section where lines on road are bad. AP uses car in front of me to follow as it works to figure out lane markings. This is an issue in Chicago given road conditions. Car decides to turn left abruptly. AP assumes road turns and starts to "follow" the turning car. I hit brakes. Car slows down and I retake control. Would it have followed it all the way through the turn? No way to know. I stopped it right as it started.
Nothing bad happened. Would it have figure it out ? I don't know. I am treating it like assisted driving.

Well articulated... Neither have happened to me, but the info is great.

 

[Curbine]

Don't call me a criminal, but I drive with traffic speed. Could be over the speed limit, could be under. You can be driving the speed limit and be a menace to those around you--difference in speed causes accidents. And if you're worried about a ticket, just don't be the fastest one, simple.

In my state you can get a ticket for driving slower than traffic while you are in the left lane. The "slower traffic keep right" signs--some states will write tickets, thankfully they have started doing it here. By driving slow in the passing lane, you force other cars to go around you. More cars changing lanes, more accidents.

A good human driver is still probably better than AP. Experience, ability to read and predict what other cars will do, preemptively avoid dangerous situations, these are things AP can't do. For an unexpected and immediate threat, I'd like AP--ironically that's when it wants to throw control into the human's hands, which I think is backwards. I wish there was a setting for those of us who take driving seriously where we drive and the AP just intervenes for emergencies we can't react to.

Please don't take this as bashing on AP's abilities. I think it's a great thing and only wish we had more control over it. But I do think that Google has the right idea here--humans quickly trust the computer too much, and can put themselves at greater risk as a result.

This article is a good summary of the different approaches by Tesla and Google: Tesla vs. Google: Both In The Self-Driving Car Race, Each With Its Own Approach

Myself, I want to buy a Google car when available. But in the mean time I want to get an X.