8.0 Software makes Autopilot more needy!

[wallstguy]

One of the best things about Autopilot I liked was I can rest my hands/arms, while having them ready if needed to take control.

However, since installing 8.0, it looks like this is pretty much not possible anymore?

It used to be that the "Hold Steering Wheel" icon will come up after about 3 minutes of driving...now its about 15 seconds?

Doesn't this defeat the whole purpose of autopilot?

 

[outie]

I've always felt awkward to place my hand(s) anywhere other than the steering wheel. Maybe that's just me.

 

[Dazureus]

I'm able to keep one hand (or both) on the bottom of the steering wheel and rest my elbows on the arm rests of my Model X. This provides enough support to relax my arms while keeping enough feedback torque to never get a warning prompt. Sometimes I find myself "floating" my hand a bit on the steering wheel and have to remind myself to just relax to provide dead weight. Right now, Tesla really wants people to keep their hands on the wheel because that extra split second required to move from another resting position could make all the difference in accident prevention.
I kind of see autopilot as a way to remove the constant mental calculations of driving, while still allowing me to pay attention to the larger driving issues. I don't have to constantly adjust steering to stay in lanes, or modulate the accelerator to keep a safe distance, but I still have to watch out for other vehicle behaviors and road hazards.

 

[CmdrThor]

I typically keep my hands on the wheel, but when testing out how long it would take to get a warning it was over 5 minutes for me without touching the wheel. I think (pure guess) it depends on the quality of the lane markings and other information on how long it takes to get a nag.

 

[Todd Burch]

It used to be that the "Hold Steering Wheel" icon will come up after about 3 minutes of driving...now its about 15 seconds?

Doesn't this defeat the whole purpose of autopilot?

While nags are now more frequent, on the highway they are still minutes apart, as long as you're not running into difficult situations (faded lines, sharp turns, etc.)

Suggestion: If your following distance is short (1, 2, or 3-ish) autopilot will do better if you open it up some to 6 or 7.

 

[thegruf]

I am not finding any significant difference in nag levels tbh.
I do like the new flashing border to the IC, I find this much more visible.

What is almost certainly true is that each driver will have a different experience due to the roads they use and their driving style.
At the end of the day we are required to keep our hands on the wheel, so can expect to be nagged if we don't.
I think Tesla have done a very good job getting the balance about right.

 

[Phil Seastrand]

I was finally able to install 8.0 last night and I drove it today to see how it behaved. Concerning the nag, I would say i'ts about the same as before, just it's a lot easier to notice now with the new graphics (flashing border). I went about 10 minutes on the freeway before the first nag. I'm very happy with the changes.

 

[InternetDude]

The nags are coming up every 60 seconds for me on 8.0. I am a more dangerous driver because now I watch the instrument cluster like a hawk instead of looking at the road.

 

[Dazureus]

The nags are coming up every 60 seconds for me on 8.0. I am a more dangerous driver because now I watch the instrument cluster like a hawk instead of looking at the road.

Do you drive hands free when auto pilot is active? I drove 140 miles over the weekend, mostly on autopilot and I didn't get any nags, but I keep at least one hand on the wheel.

 

[systemcrashed]

Keeping one hand on the wheel (depending on how hard you grasp it and how sensitive the car it to detecting your hand) may not be the cause of the more frequent nags. My 100 mile commute has elicited very few nags (none on one occasion). I do keep one hand on the wheel, but I have been nagged while holding the wheel as well. My guess is the nags are a result of a formula combining the amount of crowd-sourced data for that given stretch, type of road (hwy- street), data confidence (camera's ability to read lane markers), and surrounding traffic (volume), possibly also weather conditions (wipers) and how many times you have triggered the later warnings. If I were developing a system like this I would have all these variables in mind. This would reward the attentive careful drivers and nanny those who don't use it properly.