Concerned about rear collision when car slows on its own

[White Knight]

I bet tesla get hit from the back a lot compared to the other cars. On auto pilot, sometimes the car slow down drastically that i press the gas so i don't get hit in the back. Especially in traffic where sometimes we go fast and suddenly
we slow down. Or if we don't lift off the gas pedal slowly the car will slow down faster without pressing the brake pedal. It can be a problem if we don't warn the car behind because there is no brake lights won't get activated. That how i drive defensively watching those brake lights ahead.

 

[-DA3]

I'm no expert-- but pretty sure the brake lights illuminate when you let off the GO pedal and re gen kicks in. You can see this action on the display image of your car.

 

[lolder]

Brake lights are activated by a deceleration sensor It's not necessary to use brake pedal to get brake lights. They will be on with any significant slowing. Expand the display vehicle and look at the third stop light at the base of the rear window.

 

[Rothgarr]

Correct, the brake lights turn on when you lift your foot off the accelerator -- but there is a threshold -- so if you lightly lift the pedal it won't come on. There's a sweet spot.

 

[ecarfan]

I bet tesla get hit from the back a lot compared to the other cars.

You mean you “speculate” that is the case, because you have no real data to support your statement.

On auto pilot, sometimes the car slow down drastically that i press the gas so i don't get hit in the back.

If the car slows drastically it is because traffic ahead is slowing drastically. And your brake lights will come on by themselves.

It can be a problem if we don't warn the car behind because there is no brake lights won't get activated.

Incorrect. The brake lights are activated automatically when the car slows significantly on its own.

 

[SMAlset]

What everyone above said is true. And there is no gasoline or gas pedal used in an EV.

 

[tvad]

@White Knight, I have the same concern about the possibility of being rear ended due to the Tesla's abrupt braking in moderate to heavy traffic...particularly in situations where a car suddenly changes lanes into the gap in front of the Model 3. This always causes the Tesla to brake/slow much more abruptly than we do ourselves when driving with full control of the car.

This concern continues even though the brake lights come on in those situations. We always follow farther behind the car ahead to allow us space to advance forward if we see the car behind approaching too quickly.

I am writing specifically about abrupt braking while on Autopilot.

OP, if you haven't already, you can switch regen braking from Standard too Low. Low will slow the car in a manner similar to an ICE car, and it will be less abrupt.

 

[Vm.one]

There is no abrupt braking. It depends on how much pedal you leave. Fully controllable and it's beautiful. One pedal drive is so much more better.

You could argue the same for a normal car, what if I slammed the brakes.

 

[Whitehawk]

At night you can see when the brake lights come on by looking at the tail lights on the visualization of your car on the screen. You can see what level of regenerative braking triggers the brake lights. I think any concerns about being rear ended are unwarranted.

 

[tvad]

I think any concerns about being rear ended are unwarranted.

I think you're not taking into account drivers not paying attention to brake lights because they're texting, applying make-up, loading vape pens, etc while driving. Happens every day where we live.

 

[ngogas]

@White Knight how many times you been rear ended in your Tesla? This thread is stupid riddle with speculations.

 

[alsetym]

How about being less worried about rear-ending the car in front of you because you screw up or aren't paying attention. If the guy behind you hits you, it's because he is not paying attention or has insufficient following distance. If they are tailgating you, get out the lane. Defensive driving FTW!

 

[Joshan]

I think you're not taking into account drivers not paying attention to brake lights because they're texting, applying make-up, loading vape pens, etc while driving. Happens every day where we live.

Which has zero to do with a Tesla and affects every car on the road. What exactly was your point? If the driver behind you is not paying attention, what car has systems to stop you from getting rear ended when driving forward?

 

[Cogarch]

I think the hostile tone of many of these posts is unwarranted. When on Autopilot I have experienced sudden emergency braking several times while in the fast lane caused by AP mistaking a gantry or other non-issue as a hazard. Thankfully I have not yet had anyone crash into me but it is a reasonable thing to fear.

 

[tvad]

Which has zero to do with a Tesla and affects every car on the road. What exactly was your point? If the driver behind you is not paying attention, what car has systems to stop you from getting rear ended when driving forward?

My point is that a car that slows/brakes abruptly is more likely to get rear ended by a driver following too closely and/or not paying attention.

Our Tesla slows much more abruptly while on Autopilot in situations where cars "dive" into the gap in front of us.

Unfortunately, tailgating is common in So California...and at typical 70+ mph freeway speeds, it's safer to maintain a smoother pace than Autopilot accomplishes in the situation I described above. If possible, it's smart to change lanes away from tailgaters (as was mentioned earlier), but that's not always an option when traffic is heavy.

For this reason, we almost always prefer to have full control of the Model 3 on So California freeways.

Hope that helps.

BTW @Joshan...tailgaters abound in Chicagoland! It's as crazy there as in So California...sometimes I think even moreso.

 

[camalaio]

I think the hostile tone of many of these posts is unwarranted. When on Autopilot I have experienced sudden emergency braking several times while in the fast lane caused by AP mistaking a gantry or other non-issue as a hazard. Thankfully I have not yet had anyone crash into me but it is a reasonable thing to fear.

100% agree, though I do think people are also rightly pointing out that sufficient regenerative braking does indeed engage the brake lights though. In that respect less hostility would be appreciated towards someone who is new to regenerative braking.

 

[Darthbenji]

I happen to agree with the OPs concern. I too have looked in my rear view more than once to see if autopilot’s abrupt braking was going to get me rear ended. The car brakes earlier and harder than a human would. Not all the time but sometimes. In those moments it is a risk to be rear ended. Brake lights are a red herring in this discussion. They exist on all cars and illuminate when heavy braking occurs. That they do, does not preclude a rear end collision. Rear enders are the most common type of collision there is on the roads. The reality is many many drivers do not follow at a safe speed and distance making brake lights of little help when a sudden slow or stop is necessary.

If you don’t find autopilots braking too aggressive sometimes, maybe that’s just the way you drive when you’re in charge and it feels normal to you. A car or driver suddenly braking heavily in traffic when it’s not needed is asking for a hit from behind.

 

[KenC]

I vaguely recall a similar thread came up on the Chevy Volt forums, and that someone pointed out that the brake lights are triggered by a deceleration rate of -1G. And as others have noted, you can see the lights come on in the visualization screen.

 

[C141medic]

I think you're not taking into account drivers not paying attention to brake lights because they're texting, applying make-up, loading vape pens, etc while driving. Happens every day where we live.

Agree there are a lot of drivers not paying attention. Unfortunately we can’t control against this no matter if we’re driving a Tesla or another vehicle if the drivers behind us do not maintain proper following distance.

 

[camalaio]

I vaguely recall a similar thread came up on the Chevy Volt forums, and that someone pointed out that the brake lights are triggered by a deceleration rate of -1G. And as others have noted, you can see the lights come on in the visualization screen.

Well that can't be right. You'd have to run into something to pull 1G but point taken