AP Complacency

[joebiker25]

I have been using AP every time I drive my car for the past 6 weeks since I took delivery. My daily drive is at least 100 miles of mostly freeway drudgery which my MS has enhanced tremendously...AP being a major contributor of the same.
Recently I noticed that I subconsciously drive ALL the time as if AP is engaged even though I drive "manually" about 20% of the time due to interchanges, surface streets etc..
Today, I got on the freeway and moved into the HOV lane and was just about to engage AP when my phone rang with a Monday morning work issue. I was so engrossed in that conversation that I forgot to engage AP and almost rear-ended a car stopped in traffic a few miles later! I had to stand on the brakes to stop in time!
Perhaps I need a "AP not engaged" warning chime...

 

[JohnnyG]

You're not alone there... For those of us who drive more than 50% with AP engaged, it is an easy mistake to make. I can't say that I've ever gone to that level, but I have, on more than one occasion, had TACC engaged, and the car is driving so smooth on a straight flat road, that my muscle memory completely relaxes my hand until either the road starts to veer or bank, at which time I'm waiting for AP to correct itself, and then realize that it's not engaged!

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

I'm just waiting for the day when, after rear-ending that car, your insurance company says ... "and why were YOU driving the car"?

 

[joebiker25]

I'm just waiting for the day when, after rear-ending that car, your insurance company says ... "and why were YOU driving the car"?

Clearly the car is doing better at driving than Mr. Distracted here!

 

[Max*]

I've had that happen once too. I thought AP was engaged, I "relaxed" my arm (I will neither admit nor deny letting go of the steering wheel) and the car starts to veer into the neighboring lane, and I jerk it back thinking "what happened?" only to realize AP was never engaged. This was in the 7.1 days. I must've still had my foot on the accelerator.

Speaking of which, I've also had the opposite happen, when I'm driving with AP engaged, I sometimes keep my foot on the accelerator to narrow the gap in bumper-to-bumper traffic to avoid anyone cutting in, and I forget that AP is engaged when the car accelerates faster than I'm anticipating.

 

[wesley888]

I'm surprise that Tesla doesn't stop itself even not in AP. A commercial of another car just on TV while I was reading this forum. In the commercial, the girl was chatting on the phone and just looked away, and a car in front of her did a sudden stop to avoid something and her car stopped completely for her.

 

[Electroman]

I have had this happen to me a few times, where I disengaged AP because it was taking forever to change lanes. So I changed lanes manually (oh the horror !!. so 20th century) and then forgot to re-engage AP, and the car was slowing down and drifting to next lane for no reason before I realized what was happening and engaged AP again.

 

[brianman]

I'm surprise that Tesla doesn't stop itself even not in AP.

Incorrect assertion.

model_s_owners_manual_north_america_en_us.pdf
page 86

Automatic Emergency Braking is always enabled when you start Model S. To disable it for your current drive, touch Controls > Settings > Driver Assistance > Automatic Emergency Braking > Disable.

And yes, "current drive", is very annoying to deal with every time you enter grid for track events.

 

[wesley888]

So, what you are saying is that the original poster would have no problem at all even if he did not stepped on the brake at all?

I don't have my Tesla yet, so I have no idea how it works.

 

[joebiker25]

So, what you are saying is that the original poster would have no problem at all even if he did not stepped on the brake at all?

I don't have my Tesla yet, so I have no idea how it works.

In this case, traffic went from 75 - 80 to zero MPH very quickly with cars in my lane turning onto the shoulder to prevent plowing into the cars in front of them. It took me a split second to realize that AP was not on and I stomped on the brakes. I have had AEB engage without AP when a speeding car cut in front of me with very little room to spare.

 

[wesley888]

I see! Thanks for the info!!

I have a Model 3 reserved and wanted it for my teenage daughter. AEB is super important to me knowing kids nowadays with their phones...

 

[rolson1011]

I have had AEB engage without AP when a speeding car cut in front of me with very little room to spare.

This is selectible too, I usually go to Low, but I think the default is medium, and long range is also a select-able option. All depends on your personal level of perception and driving skill. If you know you get distracted a lot, go for long. The manual does state that low only slows you about 25mph delta vs other traffic, so you will still hit if they were at a stop, just 25mph slower. medium is around 35, and long is 50mph

 

[wesley888]

Ah! I see. Why would anyone not use 50 mph slower then? Afraid to get rear ended if stopped too fast?

 

[csanders90D]

This is selectible too, I usually go to Low, but I think the default is medium, and long range is also a select-able option. All depends on your personal level of perception and driving skill. If you know you get distracted a lot, go for long. The manual does state that low only slows you about 25mph delta vs other traffic, so you will still hit if they were at a stop, just 25mph slower. medium is around 35, and long is 50mph

Don't confuse FCW (Forward Collision Warning) with AEB (Automatic Emergency Braking).

FCW just beeps at you and doesn't actually hit the brakes. FCW is the system that has the early/late settings, so you can trade off the possibility of false alarms vs. your time to react. I've got mine set to medium, and it's been very helpful a couple of times.

AEB will hit the brakes hard, much more than the regen or regular braking that TACC uses. It just has the option to turn it on or off (off only stays for that trip, then turns itself back on again). False alarms triggering AEB could be very bad, due to the chance of being hit by the car behind you, so they took a conservative choice of when to trigger and how much to slow down.

 

[RogerHScott]

Btw, you do not want to rely on AEB to stop you in anything other than an actual E(mergency) -- it is not pleasant.

 

[brianman]

I have had AEB engage without AP when a speeding car cut in front of me with very little room to spare.

This is selectible too, I usually go to Low, but I think the default is medium, and long range is also a select-able option.

@rolson1011 - You're mixing things up. The setting you are talking about is for FCW (forward collision warning), not AEB (automatic emergency braking).

 

[Patrick W]

I'm surprise that Tesla doesn't stop itself even not in AP.

Some time ago someone posted here on the forums about thinking of setting up an experiment with, IIRC, a large piece of aluminum foil suspended by some string. The idea was to take a run at it and see how the car would react, either stopping or running into it.

But I don't remember seeing anything about the experiment actually being run.

???

 

[jmanning]

This is one of the few things about this car that I try to be vigilant about the most. Being the sole driver, having TACC on, or autopilot, keeping track is very important. People can talk about it but until one uses it, the idea of paying attention sounds obvious. I took an exit the other day and had autopilot on, moved manually over to take exit and TACC was still on, the car speed up quick until I hit the brakes to shut off TACC.
Just a learning curve for people in the long run it will, and has saved lives, but we all need to be aware while driving, or our Tesla driving.......

 

[Chopr147]

I think this happens to many of us Tesla owners, if they are willing to admit it. Certainly has happened to me but in the end it comes down to paying attention at all times. It can be startling though.

 

[Austral]

Time to turn the cell phone off when driving. Protect your life and everyone around you. Focus only on driving even with AP engaged. Never become a 5,000 lb projectile at 65 mph.