Better Blindspot Approach

[Blackbart]

Given Tesla’s stated safety goals and understanding the capabilities of the cars it feels like there is an easy improvement to blind spot management.

All I want to know (especially in heavy traffic) is “Am I clear to change lanes.” Which is the beauty of the ubiquitous mirror lights. Tesla is not going to add those. But they could use the mostly useless visualization screen.

When the driver turns on their turn signal - the adjacent lane could light up amber if the lane is occupied. While this does not show the car next to you the arrow in the mirror (which is nice) it would be superior to mirror arrows in that you wouldn’t need to turn your head or even take your eyes off the road.

As a bonus you could have the option to toggle on a haptic enhancement and/or a chime if you wanted.

To me this is such a fundamental safety feature and one the car is already so well set up to address - it makes me sad that the current system is so bad. Even with the recent camera addition you are required to look away from the road and focus on the camera feed and then interpret the information. All to get a simple Y/N piece of information. One which the car is already fully capable of providing. And does (for itself) when executing automated lane changes.

 

[Blackbart]

Other places here I’ve seen the argument about properly adjusted mirrors vs other methods of blindspot monitoring. Which to me is like arguing over seatbelts vs airbags. I’ll happily take both!

 

[Knightshade]

When the driver turns on their turn signal - the adjacent lane could light up amber if the lane is occupied.

Err... it already shows the lane line and the blocking car in red if there's someone in your blind spot- the same place you'd look for the amber lane visualization.

 

[jabloomf1230]

I already suggested something similar to Tesla. They should use the cockpit cam to determine when the driver looks at either the left or right mirror and then both display the repeater cam view and turn cars red in the UI visualization if the path is unsafe. A yellow triangle would work also.

 

[Blackbart]

Err... it already shows the lane line and the blocking car in red if there's someone in your blind spot- the same place you'd look for the amber lane visualization.

View attachment 764782

Sorry I wasn’t clear. But that image is perfect. So rather than a “car” that is maybe the size of a postage stamp - I’m suggesting the that entire lane (so maybe 4-5 times as much real estate) would light up amber. You would not need to look over to know what it was telling you. Tesla takes a very timid approach to this matter - or are over-enamored with the animation. The idea would be to not require the driver to look at and process an image. Simply provide them the binary information - lane clear / lane occupied. It’s what most other cars do because they don’t have an animation. But some things are better handled in a heavier handed manner - from a design perspective.

 

[Jim R]

Given Tesla’s stated safety goals and understanding the capabilities of the cars it feels like there is an easy improvement to blind spot management.

All I want to know (especially in heavy traffic) is “Am I clear to change lanes.” Which is the beauty of the ubiquitous mirror lights. Tesla is not going to add those. But they could use the mostly useless visualization screen.

When the driver turns on their turn signal - the adjacent lane could light up amber if the lane is occupied. While this does not show the car next to you the arrow in the mirror (which is nice) it would be superior to mirror arrows in that you wouldn’t need to turn your head or even take your eyes off the road.

As a bonus you could have the option to toggle on a haptic enhancement and/or a chime if you wanted.

To me this is such a fundamental safety feature and one the car is already so well set up to address - it makes me sad that the current system is so bad. Even with the recent camera addition you are required to look away from the road and focus on the camera feed and then interpret the information. All to get a simple Y/N piece of information. One which the car is already fully capable of providing. And does (for itself) when executing automated lane changes.

Your suggestion has merit, however there is an even better solution. Your solution requires the driver to look at something. If he/she isn't looking there, he/she is not warned. Have the car emit a loud obnoxious warning when the turn signal is engaged and a car is in the blind spot. I used this system in a 2014 Mercedes and found it effective.

 

[Knightshade]

Your suggestion has merit, however there is an even better solution. Your solution requires the driver to look at something. If he/she isn't looking there, he/she is not warned. Have the car emit a loud obnoxious warning when the turn signal is engaged and a car is in the blind spot. I used this system in a 2014 Mercedes and found it effective.

It has done that for over 2 years now.

If you want a chime to sound when a vehicle is in your blind spot and a possible collision is detected, touch Controls > Autopilot > Blind Spot Collision Warning Chime.

 

[Jim R]

It has done that for over 2 years now.

I didn't recommend a chime! I said a loud obnoxious warning! Chimes are not going to stop someone from turning into that lane. Something that scares the crap out of the driver will have immediate effect. A chime just won't

 

[ArchEtech]

The new feature is distracting to me. I tuned it off. I always still have to check the mirror and look over my shoulder anyway. I’m fine with just a chime or something.

If they just improved the visualization tracking it would help too. I use that all the time to watch traffic . I wish you could set the zoom level and it would stick. I don’t rely on it for a lane change but as a way to see what’s going on around me at a glance - literally all the time.

 

[Randy-12]

Given Tesla’s stated safety goals and understanding the capabilities of the cars it feels like there is an easy improvement to blind spot management.

All I want to know (especially in heavy traffic) is “Am I clear to change lanes.” Which is the beauty of the ubiquitous mirror lights. Tesla is not going to add those. But they could use the mostly useless visualization screen.

When the driver turns on their turn signal - the adjacent lane could light up amber if the lane is occupied. While this does not show the car next to you the arrow in the mirror (which is nice) it would be superior to mirror arrows in that you wouldn’t need to turn your head or even take your eyes off the road.

As a bonus you could have the option to toggle on a haptic enhancement and/or a chime if you wanted.

To me this is such a fundamental safety feature and one the car is already so well set up to address - it makes me sad that the current system is so bad. Even with the recent camera addition you are required to look away from the road and focus on the camera feed and then interpret the information. All to get a simple Y/N piece of information. One which the car is already fully capable of providing. And does (for itself) when executing automated lane changes.

Why not just turn on the blind spot monitoring? You can see on the screen what your car sees when you turn on the turn indicator.

 

[Blackbart]

Why not just turn on the blind spot monitoring? You can see on the screen what your car sees when you turn on the turn indicator.

Definitely have that on. But it requires you to look down and "process" what you are seeing. What I am suggesting is something where when I look over to check say my passenger side mirror I could tell without even looking at the screen if the car thinks there is something in my blind spot. Basically the same way most cars use the "in mirror amber arrows" - but without new mirrors.

 

[Blackbart]

It has done that for over 2 years now.

Yeah but that is an "imminent collision" warning - rather than a day to day easy to use "space is not available" indicator. There are tons of ways other cars do this better (BMW has a haptic thing even in the low end cars). For a car that runs circles around most other cars - this is one area that feels a) important and b) like a weak spot.

 

[HRHtheKing]

I have an issue with the location of the camera display. When making a lane change, it's not easy to see the camera display without moving your hand position on the steering wheel. It would be so much easier at the top of the screen. Also a chime, if it's dangerous to change lanes, as soon as you put your turn signal on doesn't sound too difficult to add.

 

[enemji]

Err... it already shows the lane line and the blocking car in red if there's someone in your blind spot- the same place you'd look for the amber lane visualization.

View attachment 764782

Not in my 2022 Model 3

 

[enemji]

I have an issue with the location of the camera display. When making a lane change, it's not easy to see the camera display without moving your hand position on the steering wheel. It would be so much easier at the top of the screen. Also a chime, if it's dangerous to change lanes, as soon as you put your turn signal on doesn't sound too difficult to add.

Yessir! I should be able to locate that window anywhere on the screen that is comfortable to my vision

 

[mswlogo]

The car knows if something is in your blind spot. If the blinker is on, it should beep.

You can’t look everywhere 100% of the time. Some idiot might have snuck in there just as you needed to focus on something else. The whole point of good blind spot is, it turns your ears into an extra set of eyes.

That said, I’m convinced now that FSD gives me the same advantage as a good blind spot system. Using the blinker it will only go when it’s safe, and if it’s suddenly not safe it will abandon.

 

[Knightshade]

Not in my 2022 Model 3

Yours doesn't show the adjacent car in red, and the lane line in red like shown?

 

[Blackbart]

Yours doesn't show the adjacent car in red, and the lane line in red like shown?

View attachment 779716

Yes. Sometimes. But if you watch it while someone else drives (of course) you realize it is surprisingly inconsistent. Sometimes showing cars two lanes over in red. Other times not showing a car clearly in the blind spot NOT red. Between that and the rather low key nature of the graphic (in daylight you have to look at the screen to notice it) it just feels underbaked. And definitely not like a system you can fully trust 100% of the time. Which means you end up never trusting it. I imagine Tesla views it as a temporary thing pending FSD etc etc etc (just like steering wheels) - but driving other cars with way less computing power it is hard not to feel like the Tesla solution isn’t on par. The simple chime idea (not the current crash imminent alarm) seems so elegant and easily doable…

 

[Blackbart]

The car knows if something is in your blind spot. If the blinker is on, it should beep.

You can’t look everywhere 100% of the time. Some idiot might have snuck in there just as you needed to focus on something else. The whole point of good blind spot is, it turns your ears into an extra set of eyes.

That said, I’m convinced now that FSD gives me the same advantage as a good blind spot system. Using the blinker it will only go when it’s safe, and if it’s suddenly not safe it will abandon.

Yeah that’s the thing - clearly the car actually has the capability to manage blind spots in a way that is way ahead of most cars as it can safely decide when to change lanes and do it by itself. I get that tapping in to that in the form of FSD should and does cost. But in the interest of safety - as you say - to produce a chime should be a piece of cake.

 

[Keninblaine]

I agree with the points made by @Blackbart. I just returned from a 4100 mile road trip over 19 days, from Blaine Washington to Santa Barbara, Orange County, Indian Wells, Tucson, Phoenix, Vegas, Susanville, Portland, and back to Blaine. I found the lane change image almost useless as, being so low on the screen, you have to look too far away from your line of vision and process what you're glancing at. This is difficult and dangerous when in heavy freeway traffic. I much preferred the amber light on the side mirrors of my previous Audi. For a start, the side camera image should be near the top of the screen, even if it temporarily covers speed info etc. I too would prefer a unique audible alert if a car is in my blind spot. FWIW, I think the car and road graphics in the left 1/3 of the screen is virtually useless information, and I would much prefer that space be configurable to display more important info and/or controls that could be accessed while driving without having to access them through 2 menu layers.