AP2.0 issue getting too close to semis when in left lane

[plasmo]

I have used AP1 in our Model X for most of our trips, but used AP2 for the first time in our new Model S (17.17.17).

I'm already aware that AP2 is not at parity with AP1 yet, but was wondering if people (who have used both AP1/AP2) have noticed an issue when using AP2 on the highway:

When driving in the left lane (and a truck/Semi is in the right lane), as you are passing the truck, for some reason AP2 gets dangerously close to the truck (immediately prompting a yell from the wife).
This doesn't seem to occur when i'm in the right lane in the same scenerio.

 

[PluggedINLife]

I've noticed that too

 

[croman]

I have used AP1 in our Model X for most of our trips, but used AP2 for the first time in our new Model S (17.17.17).

I'm already aware that AP2 is not at parity with AP1 yet, but was wondering if people (who have used both AP1/AP2) have noticed an issue when using AP2 on the highway:

When driving in the left lane (and a truck/Semi is in the right lane), as you are passing the truck, for some reason AP2 gets dangerously close to the truck (immediately prompting a yell from the wife).
This doesn't seem to occur when i'm in the right lane in the same scenerio.

Haven't noticed. I've passed thousands of semis and other than early FW versions where it would not see trucks ahead of me (and therefore accelerate like a bat out of hell into the back of the truck), I have had no truck lust issues (knock on wood). My car will even, with a big delay, move away from objects detected by the ultra sonics (go to the far part of the lane away from trucks). I'm also on 17.17.17.

 

[Tam]

...When driving in the left lane (and a truck/Semi is in the right lane), as you are passing the truck, for some reason AP2 gets dangerously close to the truck (immediately prompting a yell from the wife)...

If the left side is very close to a wall/median concrete barrier and the lane is narrow, I don't think it has anything with trucks.

I think AP2 tries to center in a very narrow lane and tries to avoid hitting the left wall so it may seem like it try to hit a big truck on your right.

I think it still happens whether the right lane is empty or there's a smaller car or bigger truck.

 

[John Green]

LAWSUIT: NHTSA IGNORED FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST
Government sued for allegedly not providing data about Tesla's Autopilot and Autosteer systems.
By David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com Posted in News
Lawsuit: NHTSA Ignored Freedom of Information Act Request
June 29, 2017 — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been sued for allegedly ignoring a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by a research company that wants to know details about Tesla's Autopilot system.

Plaintiff Quality Control Systems Corp. (QCS), based in Maryland, says it concentrates in "computer-intensive, statistical research with large databases," and wants to know more about the data used to investigate the Tesla Model S and Model X.

Safety regulators took a look at Tesla's Autopilot system in 2016 after a crash that killed former Navy SEAL Joshua Brown. Mr. Brown was driving his Model S with Autopilot engaged when the car slammed into a tractor-trailer, killing Brown on a Florida highway.

NHTSA eventually closed its investigation and claimed the data showed Autosteer, a function of the Autopilot system, reduced airbag deployments and crash rates.

QCS says it sent a FOIA request to NHTSA in February 2017 to obtain crash data allegedly withheld from the public by the government. According to the lawsuit, scientific researchers need the data to "assess the validity of the remarkable claim made by NHTSA that airbag deployments in Tesla vehicles dropped by almost 40 percent after the installation of a component of the Tesla's Autopilot system, Autosteer."

QCS says the documents specifically say that NHTSA calculated airbag deployment crashes in the Tesla vehicles before and after Autosteer was installed and found the reduction in crash rates. However, QCS says it is concerned the alleged reduction in crash rates is associated with the "installation" of Autosteer, rather than the actual use of Autosteer.

QCS wants to know if NHTSA used scientific methods to validate the tests and if the results can be replicated. In addition, the company wants to know if the alleged reduction in crash rates is due to Autosteer itself and if the decreased crash rates are expected to continue.

"The surprising claim by NHTSA of an extraordinary reduction in crash rates associated with the installation of Autosteer must be carefully considered in the context of the Agency's failure to allow public access to the underlying data. Such an important conclusion by the Agency should not be based on data that the government is withholding from researchers who want to examine NHTSA's results." - Quality Control Systems

In March 2017, NHTSA responded to QCS by saying the agency was issuing “an interim response to your FOIA request dated February 24, 2017," and was “extending by ten working days the time period by which the agency must provide a response.”

Further, NHTSA said it needed additional time "to search for and collect the requested records from field facilities or other establishments that are separate from the office processing the request.” Finally, the letter stated that NHTSA expected to provide a response by April 14, 2017.

However, QCS says that communication was the last it heard from NHTSA.

The Quality Control Systems Freedom of Information Act request lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia - Quality Control Systems Corp. v. U.S. Department of Transportation.

 

[hmmm]

I thought "truck lust" was a well known issue with AP1 as well, no?

 

[ahkahn]

I was given a heads up about it when I picked mine up on Friday. The delivery specialist giving me the walkthrough of the car told me that it will seem to get closer to the trailer, but it is fine. He said that what happens is that as the vehicle approaches the back of the trailer, it sees it and adjusts, and then as the car passes the rear axle of the trailer the sensors begin "looking under" the trailer, so the car will center up in the lane (thus moving in towards the truck). As you move forward towards the tractor, it will then "see" the tractor and again move closer to the left side of the lane. He said it's normal, it's safe, and it happens.

In all fairness, I drove the car (AP2/17.24.30) 300 miles home after picking it up with no odd issues (like truck lust, phantom breaking, etc). Was a great drive 90%+ on autopilot.

 

[Tam]

I thought "truck lust" was a well known issue with AP1 as well, no?

There are 2 kinds:

1) Adjacent lane truck: Your car would drift toward a truck next lane and you have to manually correct the steering which cancels the autosteer.

I have never experienced this at all with my AP2 for past 3 months and almost 4,000 miles.

2) Rear-ending high bed truck: Your car would think that there's lots of room below a high bed of a truck from the rear wheels to the truck's rear so it adjusts following distance and wants to rear end the truck and crawl under the truck.

That happens to my AP2 once so far: Notice the car icon on the dashboard got bigger as it got closer but then it readjusted itself and place it further and jumped up to crawl under the truck and I had to manually apply brake at that time:

 

[ahkahn]

Hmmm... interesting. Thanks for sharing the video.

 

[Tam]

...Government sued for allegedly not providing data about Tesla's Autopilot and Autosteer systems...

I have continued my behaviors now as if I did with my classic 2012 Model S and previous gasoline cars: taking my eyes off the road to change radio stations, selecting a song, working with the GPS...

But this time, AP2 has been adjusting the steering and braking on its own which has made me realize that it has been a miracle that I did not get into any car accidents so far.