Blind spot warning while changing lanes

[La Piazza]

Twice I tried to change lanes while another car was in my blind spot. I was very surprised that there was not an audible or visual alert. Once it happened with the blinker on, once without. I also have a Honda odessey which does alert me when a car is in a lane I am about to go into so I was very surprised by the lack of input from the Model 3. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[xav-]

Yes there is no blind spot monitoring system currently. I believe the fact that there is only one radar makes this problem harder to solve than for other cars like the Chevy volt which uses radars (I believe on the side mirrors?) just for that purpose.

 

[gambit48]

It's supposed to be coming.

FWIW, I have an Odyssey too and it's visual only alert is just about useless. Not bright enough and in a spot where your eye skims past it anyways. I dunno about the brand new model, but my previous gen one has a sorry alert system.

 

[La Piazza]

It's supposed to be coming.

FWIW, I have an Odyssey too and it's visual only alert is just about useless. Not bright enough and in a spot where your eye skims past it anyways. I dunno about the brand new model, but my previous gen one has a sorry alert system.

My 2018 odessey also has an audible alert...when you say, “it is suppose to be coming” have you heard it could be an over the air fix or a new generation tesla?

 

[La Piazza]

Yes there is no blind spot monitoring system currently. I believe the fact that there is only one radar makes this problem harder to solve than for other cars like the Chevy volt which uses radars (I believe on the side mirrors?) just for that purpose.

Very surprising... theres tons of warnings when I pull into my garage.

 

[Shock-On-T]

My 2018 odessey also has an audible alert...when you say, “it is suppose to be coming” have you heard it could be an over the air fix or a new generation tesla?

Eventually the car is supposed be able to drive itself without a driver at all, so it will certainly be able to do blind spot monitoring with just software updates.
That's if any of that actually happens of course

 

[drawfour]

Elon said there would be updates to AutoPilot rolling out this week or next. Maybe it will get some improvements to the safety features as well...

 

[Knightshade]

Set your mirrors correctly, then you won't have a blind spot.

https://www.cartalk.com/content/avoiding-blind-spot-5

 

[fcos154]

Set your mirrors correctly, then you won't have a blind spot.

Avoiding The Blind Spot

I normally set my mirrors like this, so there no blind spot, but in in the Model 3 I couldn’t tilt the left mirror far enough out - it reached its limit too soon.

 

[mahagala]

Blind spot warning is overrated and sometime distracted, but I don't mind if Tesla add this feature in future software update

 

[drawfour]

Blind spot warning is overrated and sometime distracted, but I don't mind if Tesla add this feature in future software update

I rented a car in LA when I was there for vacation, and that car had blindspot warning. It was a good thing too, because an idiot slammed over 2 lanes to the right while I was trying to change one lane to the left. I had checked my mirrors and shoulder and nothing was there and then suddenly there he was. So thumbs up for me for blindspot detection.

 

[La Piazza]

Blind spot warning is overrated and sometime distracted, but I don't mind if Tesla add this feature in future software update

I rented a car in LA when I was there for vacation, and that car had blindspot warning. It was a good thing too, because an idiot slammed over 2 lanes to the right while I was trying to change one lane to the left. I had checked my mirrors and shoulder and nothing was there and then suddenly there he was. So thumbs up for me for blindspot detection.

Thanks everyone for your feedback...is Blind spot warning good or unnecessary could be debated. My true concern was that I assumed - that with all its technology- my Tesla would warn me if someone was in my blindspot. So I was driving as if it would.

 

[tracksyde]

@K-MTG mentioned blind spot monitoring suggestion on Twitter and Elon responded that the suggestions would be included in v8.2 "in the next few months"

Elon Musk on Twitter

 

[xav-]

Very surprising... theres tons of warnings when I pull into my garage.

Yes because of the sensors. But the sensors are very low range. You can’t rely on them entirely for blind spot detection. You could miss a car that’s coming at a speed significantly faster than yours. You are going to have to use a mix of sensors and cameras.

I am not saying it’s not doable it is just not as trivial as using a radar and I suspect this is why this has been delayed. IMO

 

[La Piazza]

Okay, good to know now. I still think, as a first time Tesla owner, it is counterintuitive NOT to have basic audible side to side warnings. Again, because the front and back warnings and auto pilot have been good, I assumed the side to side driver input would be just as good. My vote is to include side to side audible warnings when Tesla is able to.

 

[Twiglett]

Thanks everyone for your feedback...is Blind spot warning good or unnecessary could be debated. My true concern was that I assumed - that with all its technology- my Tesla would warn me if someone was in my blindspot. So I was driving as if it would.

Assumptions are bad.
Like the guy who moved over to the passenger seat because he “assumed” the car was autonomous.
Not sure it the job of the car to fix assumptions.

 

[La Piazza]

...Yes, of course the car should not fix assumptions but every driver has a set of experiences and these experiences should be considered when developing a car. My point and communication to the folks of Tesla Motors is that of my thought processes which was: my Honda has blindspot warnings, my Tesla cost more, is suppose to be more advanced & has many more sensors and cameras (now I know, not a radar) so the Tesla should easily warn me too.

 

[Chickenlittle]

Twice I tried to change lanes while another car was in my blind spot. I was very surprised that there was not an audible or visual alert. Once it happened with the blinker on, once without. I also have a Honda odessey which does alert me when a car is in a lane I am about to go into so I was very surprised by the lack of input from the Model 3. Has anyone else experienced this?

You only tried twice? Don’t give up yet I bet with 4 more tries you’ll be able to hurt someone

 

[xav-]

You only tried twice? Don’t give up yet I bet with 4 more tries you’ll be able to hurt someone

I have personally never had this feature however I can understand how someone would get used to it and assume that a high tech car like a tesla would have it.

 

[aronth5]

Blind spot warning is overrated and sometime distracted, but I don't mind if Tesla add this feature in future software update

The only thing I like better in my wife's 2017 Town & Country then my Model 3 is the blind spot audible alert if I put the turn signal on and there is a car close to me on either side.
Other than that I try to find reasons not to drive her car