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It's actually less exhausting than manual driving. With manual driving you have to focus predominantly on one specific task - keeping your car between the line

by zaroth 7y ago

It's actually less exhausting than manual driving. With manual driving you have to focus predominantly on one specific task - keeping your car between the lines. Bends in the road, poorly drawn lines, irregularities in the road surface, gusts of wind, all conspire to make this task require constant attention. Look in the rear view mirror for a couple seconds and then look back ahead and you might find that you've drifted, etc. With AutoPilot the task has changed. You are no longer concerned with minute adjustments to the wheel, and you no longer have to maintain a constant high priority task of staying centered in the lines. Now, instead, you perform higher order functions of route planning, estimating traffic flow, observing other drivers and whether they are paying attention or drifting toward you, etc. So by no means are you passive at all. It's actually extremely engaging, but significantly less monotonous form of driving. I find it quite pleasant, and not at all hard to stay engaged. If I'm going to play a game on my phone, it's because I'm choosing to risk my life and the lives of the drivers/passengers around me, not because I couldn't handle looking out the window to pay attention.

Fricken 7y ago
Making an activity more boring does not help people to pay closer attention to it. Though not obvious in principle, it has been studied.
- zaroth 7y ago
  My contention, and speaking from experience, is that AutoPilot makes driving less boring, and also less exhausting.
docspace 7y ago
This is why I’m such a strong critic of the vehicular operating habits of others (read: backseat driver). I don’t care about the lines, the lines are the least of our worries. STOP TAILGATING THAT TRUCK, DAVE.
clairity 7y ago
> "You are no longer concerned with minute adjustments to the wheel, and you no longer have to maintain a constant high priority task of staying centered in the lines. Now, instead, you perform higher order functions of route planning, estimating traffic flow, observing other drivers and whether they are paying attention or drifting toward you, etc." i dunno, if you have trouble doing both the minute adjustments (which is usually a mostly subconscious task) and the higher-order functions while driving, maybe you need more practice/training. there are 30-40k motor vehicle deaths per year in the US (and over a million worldwide). distracted driving is the main culprit (not speed, as most people assume). we should expect no less than this kind of active driving from every driver.
- tristanb 7y ago
  Im not having trouble. It enables me to be less tired on a long trip, and as a result, have quicker reaction times than without. I'd highly encourage you to try it.
- tristanb 7y ago
  FWIW I'm also a fairly experienced pilot, motorcyclist and I have had one driving accident of no fault in 18 years of driving.
eaurouge 7y ago
> You are no longer concerned with minute adjustments to the wheel, and you no longer have to maintain a constant high priority task of staying centered in the lines. Now, instead, you perform higher order functions of route planning, estimating traffic flow, observing other drivers and whether they are paying attention or drifting toward you, etc. Staying centered in the lane should be muscle memory for an experienced driver. The higher order functions you mentioned are all things you should be doing regardless, with or without autopilot. I can perform those tasks just fine while driving a stick shift, most drivers can. The other side of the coin is that reduced engagement in the driving process can lead to lapses in concentration. That's not just my experience, it's the same opinion expressed by F1 drivers tasked with bringing the lead car home in an unchallenging grand prix.
- spookthesunset 7y ago
  I dunno man. Adaptive cruise control with "stop and go" functionally is pretty fucking nice when you are in traffic. Just because something is "muscle memory" doesn't mean it is zero cost. Adaptive cruise control really makes stop & go a hell of a lot nicer to drive in 'cause you aren't constantly shuffling between two pedals. As others have stated, it makes you quite a bit less irritable when the drive is over. That shit wears you out. Next time you rent a car, get one with adaptive cruise control and give it a try. It is very handy!
- kenhwang 7y ago
  Adaptive cruise with stop/go and lane centering is a feature offered in many cars now. So it's not like Tesla/autopilot has a unique value proposition there anymore. Mentally, I find auditing the system while it drives way more fun and less exhausting than actually driving on an uneventful highway.
- BluePen7 7y ago
  > Staying in your lane should be muscle memory for an experienced driver The amount of effort needed for this can vary wildly depending on the vehicle, it’s mechanical condition, and the speed it’s being driven at. Some vehicles are more prone to being bothered by wind, or grooves in the road, or require more constant adjustments to maintain lane position. My tiredness is dependant on the vehicle. I’ve had cars I’m exhausted from driving just after a 1 hour commute, and I’ve had a luxury sedan I could drive basically indefinitely (once did 3000 miles in 3 days, I didn’t mind it at all). I wonder if the person you’re replying to previously drive a much less refined car, and would see most of the same benefits even when driving the Tesla manually. Honestly the second part of their focus, simply being aware of their surroundings, should also be muscle memory for any experienced driver. That’s probably why they find driving so tiring, because they don’t plan ahead enough to keep a peaceful flow, rather than slightly too late scramble to gather information when they have to change lanes or something.
veritas3241 7y ago
I completely agree with how you framed this and I articulate very similar points to people when they ask me about Autopilot. I'm no longer exhausted after a long drive and it's amazing.

by zaroth 7y ago

Fricken 7y ago

Making an activity more boring does not help people to pay closer attention to it. Though not obvious in principle, it has been studied.

zaroth 7y ago
My contention, and speaking from experience, is that AutoPilot makes driving less boring, and also less exhausting.

docspace 7y ago

This is why I’m such a strong critic of the vehicular operating habits of others (read: backseat driver). I don’t care about the lines, the lines are the least of our worries. STOP TAILGATING THAT TRUCK, DAVE.

clairity 7y ago

> "You are no longer concerned with minute adjustments to the wheel, and you no longer have to maintain a constant high priority task of staying centered in the lines. Now, instead, you perform higher order functions of route planning, estimating traffic flow, observing other drivers and whether they are paying attention or drifting toward you, etc." i dunno, if you have trouble doing both the minute adjustments (which is usually a mostly subconscious task) and the higher-order functions while driving, maybe you need more practice/training. there are 30-40k motor vehicle deaths per year in the US (and over a million worldwide). distracted driving is the main culprit (not speed, as most people assume). we should expect no less than this kind of active driving from every driver.

tristanb 7y ago
Im not having trouble. It enables me to be less tired on a long trip, and as a result, have quicker reaction times than without. I'd highly encourage you to try it.
tristanb 7y ago
FWIW I'm also a fairly experienced pilot, motorcyclist and I have had one driving accident of no fault in 18 years of driving.

eaurouge 7y ago

> You are no longer concerned with minute adjustments to the wheel, and you no longer have to maintain a constant high priority task of staying centered in the lines. Now, instead, you perform higher order functions of route planning, estimating traffic flow, observing other drivers and whether they are paying attention or drifting toward you, etc. Staying centered in the lane should be muscle memory for an experienced driver. The higher order functions you mentioned are all things you should be doing regardless, with or without autopilot. I can perform those tasks just fine while driving a stick shift, most drivers can. The other side of the coin is that reduced engagement in the driving process can lead to lapses in concentration. That's not just my experience, it's the same opinion expressed by F1 drivers tasked with bringing the lead car home in an unchallenging grand prix.

spookthesunset 7y ago
I dunno man. Adaptive cruise control with "stop and go" functionally is pretty fucking nice when you are in traffic. Just because something is "muscle memory" doesn't mean it is zero cost. Adaptive cruise control really makes stop & go a hell of a lot nicer to drive in 'cause you aren't constantly shuffling between two pedals. As others have stated, it makes you quite a bit less irritable when the drive is over. That shit wears you out. Next time you rent a car, get one with adaptive cruise control and give it a try. It is very handy!
kenhwang 7y ago
Adaptive cruise with stop/go and lane centering is a feature offered in many cars now. So it's not like Tesla/autopilot has a unique value proposition there anymore. Mentally, I find auditing the system while it drives way more fun and less exhausting than actually driving on an uneventful highway.
BluePen7 7y ago
> Staying in your lane should be muscle memory for an experienced driver The amount of effort needed for this can vary wildly depending on the vehicle, it’s mechanical condition, and the speed it’s being driven at. Some vehicles are more prone to being bothered by wind, or grooves in the road, or require more constant adjustments to maintain lane position. My tiredness is dependant on the vehicle. I’ve had cars I’m exhausted from driving just after a 1 hour commute, and I’ve had a luxury sedan I could drive basically indefinitely (once did 3000 miles in 3 days, I didn’t mind it at all). I wonder if the person you’re replying to previously drive a much less refined car, and would see most of the same benefits even when driving the Tesla manually. Honestly the second part of their focus, simply being aware of their surroundings, should also be muscle memory for any experienced driver. That’s probably why they find driving so tiring, because they don’t plan ahead enough to keep a peaceful flow, rather than slightly too late scramble to gather information when they have to change lanes or something.

veritas3241 7y ago

I completely agree with how you framed this and I articulate very similar points to people when they ask me about Autopilot. I'm no longer exhausted after a long drive and it's amazing.