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Back up collision avoidance / blind spot detection??

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Owner for 1 month. Totally in love. Car beeped at me when I was approaching a stopped car too quickly ...very helpful. 30 seconds later I almost drove someone off the road who was in my blind spot. Where was the warning!! I was a little pissed. There’s no blinking or beeping, and the picture on the screen doesn’t show a car until they’re already next to you. Yes, totally human error and I need to be more careful, but if it’s going to drive itself in 6 months (wink, wink), it should at least warn me when I’m about to kill someone. BTW, the other car had an alert system...it’s called the horn and angry looks!!! Seems like an easy(ish) fix...the car already has the info, just needs to display more accurately and turn on a beeper.
 
Most cars with BLIS show blind spot warnings regardless of the blinker. No reason why Tesla can’t do the same.

An audio warning? Or a visual one? Typically a yellow LED on the side-view mirrors, right?

In my experience, the Autopilot UI does a good job of showing overlapping vehicles in adjacent lanes. Maybe it's just not as intuitive to look at a tablet screen in the center before merging, as opposed to a warning light on the side-view.
 
An audio warning? Or a visual one? Typically a yellow LED on the side-view mirrors, right?

In my experience, the Autopilot UI does a good job of showing overlapping vehicles in adjacent lanes. Maybe it's just not as intuitive to look at a tablet screen in the center before merging, as opposed to a warning light on the side-view.

Does it have a yellow LED? My other car does, but haven’t seen one on the Tesla, unless I need to turn it on.
I’ve definitely started watching when cars show up on the display and it’s way too late. They’re already physically next to me.
 
Were you using a turn signal at the time? Usually I get a blind spot warning when I turn on my turn signal, the UI turns red and will beep furiously if you try and proceed with the lane change anyway.

I don’t remember. Good to hear it should be beeping at me at least. I would have said yes, but not positive. I think I have lane departure warning off because I don’t want it beeping every time I forget, or fighting me to change lanes. But if it knows I’m crossing a line and there’s a car there I’d think that should trigger something. Maybe it’s my fault for turning off lane departure warning.
 
Does it have a yellow LED? My other car does, but haven’t seen one on the Tesla, unless I need to turn it on.
I’ve definitely started watching when cars show up on the display and it’s way too late. They’re already physically next to me.

As far as I know, the Model 3 does not have any warning lights in the mirrors. I have just seen that as a pretty common feature in cars I pass.

Just found this video of how the blindspot warning is supposed to work. Worth checking to see if it's turned on in your Autopilot menu:

 
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My 3 can’t reliably detect vehicles in adjacent lanes. The only borderline decent detection is vehicles right in front of the car. It will usually display vehicles to the left and right but they may pop in and out of existence, teleport into the next lane over or morph from a compact car into a semi and back.

In short: Despite 8 cameras, the 3’s vision (at least mine - I’m sure some will chime in how theirs is perfect) sucks right now and I would never rely on it. Not for blind spot detection and definitely not for self driving.
 
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Our Audi has the little lights in the mirrors; subtle but easy to see. Don't require any action from the driver to light up - I like that

I agree it may require you to use a signal to get the cars on screen to go red; I've never seen it except when passing large trucks as if it thinks I will cut them off. Of all the vehicles least likely to be missed ;)
 
I love the approach Tesla took. It only warns you when you need it! I have only had one blind spot warning. Traffic was slowing down in my lane and I checked my mirrors to see a car approaching but with enough time for me to accelerate in the adjacent lane. It warned me of the impending conflict. This is exactly how it should work.

I have been cut off many times by cars with LED in mirror BLIS when I am overtaking rapidly. Those drivers only check for LED then change lanes. I have slammed on my brakes for those lazy people so many times.

I have not had any other blind spot warnings in the thousands of miles since it was updated on my car. I adjust my mirrors per AAA recommended practices (and my proportions allow that in the Model 3) so I don’t have blind spots.
 
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The blind spot implementation is horrible. The mirrors should be where the indicators are put like every other car, since that’s where you’re looking when changing lanes. Having to look at the other direction on the touchscreen makes no sense.

The audio alert only comes on when a crash is imminent. There’s no advanced warning. The best fix I read was to have your blinker make a somewhat different noise when you put it on and someone is in your blind spot. Save the big audio alert for the imminent crashes. This would give you advanced warning without being annoying.

As many have noted, the Tesla side mirrors for some people can’t be moved far enough to properly address your blind spots, even if you follow recommended mirror positioning.
 
The blind spot implementation is horrible. The mirrors should be where the indicators are put like every other car, since that’s where you’re looking when changing lanes. Having to look at the other direction on the touchscreen makes no sense.

The audio alert only comes on when a crash is imminent. There’s no advanced warning. The best fix I read was to have your blinker make a somewhat different noise when you put it on and someone is in your blind spot. Save the big audio alert for the imminent crashes. This would give you advanced warning without being annoying.

As many have noted, the Tesla side mirrors for some people can’t be moved far enough to properly address your blind spots, even if you follow recommended mirror positioning.
I believe the best approach to any situation like this is to use primarily human senses (looking in mirrors set without blind spots) with a high tech backup (like Tesla); or primarily high tech with human backup (like auto lane change).

One doesn’t have to look at the screen. One only has to look to ensure all is clear looking outside the car and the car should warn you if you made a mistake.

It sounds like some people want the car to tell you someone is in your blind spot without bothering to look. Depending solely on a blind spot monitor to make a lane change is a dangerous choice. One has to wonder how many vehicles will one force off the road before one realizes that their blind spot monitor failed?
 
Maybe I’m not sure what my concern is. I’m not saying I should be an unsafe idiot and not pay attention, but in those instances when I am an idiot, I would expect a car with all that data to warn me I’m inches from sideswiping someone. If nothing else under the emergency avoidance system. I’ll play with the options and see if I missed something. I’ll also try to be more careful :)
 
I put up similar post and even after trying everything recommended could not get comfortable. Does still seem like so many missed opportunities to make a better system with what it already has (cameras, sensors, etc.). After cutting off several people went back to using blind spot mirrors which has always worked great for me. Mirrors set in and blind spot mirrors along with rear view give good overlap which helps with people making quick changes around you plus has other benefits (backing up in tight garage, etc.).
 
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I put up similar post and even after trying everything recommended could not get comfortable. Does still seem like so many missed opportunities to make a better system with what it already has (cameras, sensors, etc.). After cutting off several people went back to using blind spot mirrors which has always worked great for me. Mirrors set in and blind spot mirrors along with rear view give good overlap which helps with people making quick changes around you plus has other benefits (backing up in tight garage, etc.).

Yep, and we’re is the cross traffic alert I’ve grown used to in all my other cars?
 
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