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Backseat drivers pay less attention than frontseat drivers, obviously. Your characterization of autopilot as “just cruise control” is fundamentally incorrect.

Backseat drivers pay less attention than frontseat drivers, obviously. Your characterization of autopilot as “just cruise control” is fundamentally incorrect. Mere cruise control still demands significant and continuous attention and manual control on your behalf (steering). Autosteer makes the leap to fully automatic, which opens the door to not paying attention for long stretches of time.

slg 8y ago
I am honestly not sure how to discuss this topic when in the same thread Tesla gets ridiculed for blurring the lines between Autopilot and full self driving while people who are critical of the system say things like Autopilot is "fully automatic", "fully-assisted driving", or "removes the need for interaction completely". From a practical perspective, Autopilot still needs to be monitored. But more relevant to this discussion, the user still needs to interact with the car to keep Autopilot engaged. It is possible to do that while paying very little attention. It is also possible to drive a car with cruise control while paying very little attention. Both systems can be abused. I have already said Tesla should do a better job of trying to crack down on the abuse of Autopilot. But I don't know why it is controversial to say that if used properly both systems can lead to greater safety by allowing the driver to focus on other aspects of driving.
- abalone 8y ago
  You're mischaracterizing the issue. Autopilot should be monitored but it can go for long stretches without manual intervention (as if fully automatic). Mere cruise control, on the other hand, requires manual steering. You're just trying to make them sound similar, e.g. "if used properly" or "both can be abused". But there is an ocean of difference. It is vastly easier to ignore a system that is capable of driverless operation for long periods of time.

slg 8y ago

I am honestly not sure how to discuss this topic when in the same thread Tesla gets ridiculed for blurring the lines between Autopilot and full self driving while people who are critical of the system say things like Autopilot is "fully automatic", "fully-assisted driving", or "removes the need for interaction completely". From a practical perspective, Autopilot still needs to be monitored. But more relevant to this discussion, the user still needs to interact with the car to keep Autopilot engaged. It is possible to do that while paying very little attention. It is also possible to drive a car with cruise control while paying very little attention. Both systems can be abused. I have already said Tesla should do a better job of trying to crack down on the abuse of Autopilot. But I don't know why it is controversial to say that if used properly both systems can lead to greater safety by allowing the driver to focus on other aspects of driving.

abalone 8y ago
You're mischaracterizing the issue. Autopilot should be monitored but it can go for long stretches without manual intervention (as if fully automatic). Mere cruise control, on the other hand, requires manual steering. You're just trying to make them sound similar, e.g. "if used properly" or "both can be abused". But there is an ocean of difference. It is vastly easier to ignore a system that is capable of driverless operation for long periods of time.