Adaptive cruise control

[Newscutter]

Regardless of how awesome the sensors and ACC are... you have to consider the other possible points of failure.

The superb brakes of ANY car and the fastest microprocessor reaction time of ANY car will not save you if the vehicle they are tracking collides with something. You can't out-stop a crash, you're simply choosing where to join in the pileup at that point.

These systems ONLY work in tight quarters as long as the lead vehicle is operated safely and there are no outside intrusions (oncoming or cross traffic). Once that happens it's just a big demolition derby. I'd trust following a lead driver I KNOW is capable but not some random motorist.

ACC is a great invention but it's easily thwarted by one buffoon at the front of the line. My trust is such systems is very limited. I prefer to leave myself room and monitor my possible escape routes and, by having basic situation awareness, find that I don't need blind spot detection either.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Just for comparison sake do you feel comfortable riding on many transit systems at airports and in major cities - a lot of those are driven solely by computer?

Do any of those put you dangerously close to a big rig at over 70 MPH?

 

[Tupelo]

Tesla lawyers, to the Tesla engineers: "By the way, you guys do know that there's no way in hell we'll allow you to configure the ACC to permit people to drive on someone's arse at highway speeds, for the purpose of "drafting", right?"

 

[RichardL]

Do any of those put you dangerously close to a big rig at over 70 MPH?

Interestingly when the SF Bay Area BART system was first being tested way back in the 70s (they are completely controlled by computer even though there is a 'driver' up front), one of the test trains came uncoupled in the middle. Both halves proceeded to run to the end of the line, including stopping at stations etc. while maintaining a 6ft gap between the halves!

 

[Higgy]

This discussion re drafting reminds me about the story of the driver in a large campervan who turned on the cruise control - and then went into the back to make a cup of tea..... needless to say the driverless vehicle crashed. Apparently he then sued the car company as at they did not warn him of this eventuality.

I can't believe that anyone would drive close enough to benefit from drafting – that really is asking for trouble and would be as sensible as the driver in the campervan....

 

[sandpiper]

So, with the new radar unit, what do we do with the front license plate? For those of us who live in places that require them? It would look a little weird off-centered.

 

[cynix]

So, with the new radar unit, what do we do with the front license plate? For those of us who live in places that require them? It would look a little weird off-centered.

Doesn't the front license plate go on the nose cone?

 

[Todd Burch]

So, with the new radar unit, what do we do with the front license plate? For those of us who live in places that require them? It would look a little weird off-centered.

I asked that question right here.

- - - Updated - - -

Doesn't the front license plate go on the nose cone?

Some people prefer the look of the plate down low, leaving the nose cone untouched. Myself included. I was all set to use the J-hook method to attach my plate at the bottom center. Since it looks like my car will have the ACC sensor, I'm exploring other options.

 

[MDK]

I can't believe that anyone would drive close enough to benefit from drafting – that really is asking for trouble and would be as sensible as the driver in the campervan....

Studies have shown that safety features like ABS braking can increase the likelihood of crashes, because drivers adjust their behaviour to suit their personal idea of risk vs reward

"Against the expectations of safety experts who recommend ABS brakes as a safety advance, the drivers with ABS brakes actually had more accidents per vehicle mile than those without. The drivers braked more sharply, made tighter turns, drove at higher speeds, and made a number of other adjustments to their driving, all of which more than compensated for their supposedly safer cabs."

http://www.damninteresting.com/the-balance-of-risk/

 

[Zeani]

Does anyone have pictures of the new sensors on the front of the car?

 

[Measureman]

Does anyone have pictures of the new sensors on the front of the car?

You will find pictures in this Thread:
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/35894-Speed-Assist-and-Lane-Departure-Warning

 

[RDoc]

Studies have shown that safety features like ABS braking can increase the likelihood of crashes, because drivers adjust their behaviour to suit their personal idea of risk vs reward

"Against the expectations of safety experts who recommend ABS brakes as a safety advance, the drivers with ABS brakes actually had more accidents per vehicle mile than those without. The drivers braked more sharply, made tighter turns, drove at higher speeds, and made a number of other adjustments to their driving, all of which more than compensated for their supposedly safer cabs."

http://www.damninteresting.com/the-balance-of-risk/

At least in the US, according to the NHTSA, cars equipped with ABS have significantly lower crash rates, about 6-8% compared to cars without ABS. The fatality rates for multi-car accidents and pedestrian accidents is lower, particularly in bad conditions, but weirdly the rates are higher for one car accidents so although the crash rate is lower, the fatality rate is about the same. Cars with Electronic Stability Control (ECS) have significantly lower crash and fatality rates across the board.