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As a regular AutoPilot user, it does require active supervision. You need to be looking out the window as it drives you down the highway. It detects minute lev
by zaroth 7y ago
As a regular AutoPilot user, it does require active supervision. You need to be looking out the window as it drives you down the highway.
It detects minute levels of torque on the wheel, so resting a hand in the wheel is enough to keep it happy. If it doesn’t detect any torque on the wheel it prompts you, and you can touch the wheel or move one of the scrollwheels to let it know you’re paying attention.
> In general, it is very hard for humans to keep paying close attention to something they aren't involved in actually actively controlling
I hear this a lot without citations, and I would guess it’s not specifically studied in terms of Tesla AutoPilot.
But what I can say is that AutoPilot takes the strain away from driving and allows me to focus on higher level planning and situational awareness. I watch the cars around me, I look ahead down the road and check mirrors more frequently. AutoPilot makes driving significantly more pleasant while allowing me to be more aware of potential risks around me.
I have no doubt some people choose to disengage. But it is by no means difficult to stay engaged in monitoring the drive, or at all boring.
On the contrary, while I’ve many times “zoned out” while driving as simply maintaining position in lane is extremely tedious, I’ve never zoned out while on AutoPilot, because watching the absurd things that the drivers around you are doing never gets old.
- Swizec 7y ago> I watch the cars around me, I look ahead down the road and check mirrors more frequently. I havent tried tesla autopilot yet so I don’t know how much easier it makes driving, but if steering[1] keeps you from doing these things ... should you be on the road at all? If you’re too tired to both steer and maintain situational awareness you should probably take a rest :/ [1] steering, more like keeping the wheel steady on the freeway. Afaik Tesla can’t autopilot on the twisties yet anyway
- Retric 7y agoCognitive load is a real thing. People have a finite ability to multitask especially with similar actions. The only possible approach to driving to to not pay attention to most things as you focus on something specific and then cycle through each activity. Further, when you are forced to pay attention to something specific you must spend less time focusing on other things.
- x38iq84n 7y agoBabysitting Autopilot that can unpredictably steer me into a concrete barrier would be more demanding than driving a car that is more predictable.
- elisharobinson 7y agodriving a car that is more predictable which you drove into the baricade, or got rear ended by or side swiped someone on the exit . the avg driver is more deadly than any tesla on autopilot . By the stats .
- TheSpiceIsLife 7y agoWhich stats? The only statistic I'm aware of Telsa claiming is that Tesla Autopilot is safer than all other road vehicles combined.
- Retric 7y agoTesla’s are really expensive to repair which impacts insurance costs. But, some companies have self-driving car discount‘s such as: https://www.joinroot.com/blog/tesladiscount/ https://www.joinroot.com/blog/tesladiscount/ Suggesting a net benefit exists relative to the base model without self driving capabilities.
- m463 7y agoI would even say sometimes it checks too much. I've driven, actively looking ahead at the road, and then it will beep because I ignored the prompt on the dashboard (below the wheel). The prompt is white at the top of the dashboard and is a white gradient, that looks like glare on the dash. I don't know how these people fall asleep behind the wheel unless they've done something that mimics an active hand on the wheel. Maybe with the model 3 which has a driver-facing camera, they will enable it and check the driver's eyes.
- Shivetya 7y agoI have had this happen to but it only goes to emphasize just how much we tune out during long drives. My use of autopilot is to have the equivalent of a back seat driver or co-pilot who is just a bit paranoid. Zoning out is something the AP system won't do but drivers can do. I look at it this way, how many have been driving on a long trip only to glance in the rear view mirror and see a bridge behind you that you do not truly remember driving under? I find AP reduces stress of the long drive while adding safety. I do not allow it to change lanes on its own nor do I use navigate on autopilot. Many cars have automatic cruise control, the type that keeps distances from other vehicles, some have lane keeping assist which does as the name suggest, AP is all of that with active steering. Plus the car can drive in some of the worst conditions that are tiresome for human drivers, like at night in the rain with the headlight glare of oncoming cars does not even phase it. About the article, all those things they asked if people felt safe(r) doing with autopilot, well they actually are safer. People do it already with plain cruise control and regular driving with no overriding system doing the active driving. Do I suggest being inattentive, no, but to suggest it isn't safer with AP is silly. However saying AP replaces a human driver is just as silly.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- sangnoir 7y ago> I look at it this way, how many have been driving on a long trip only to glance in the rear view mirror and see a bridge behind you that you do not truly remember driving under? Attention and memory formation/retention are not the same thing. The mind tends to discard detailed memories of routine tasks that have been mastered. If I ask you to tie your laces, would you remember which hand touched the laces first? It doesn't mean you weren't paying attention - only that it wasn't memorable.