Following Distance Change for FSD.

[jpfive]

First Interstate travel this weekend since the latest FSD Beta. I'm on 2022.45.15. I couldn't figure out how to reduce following distance. The right steering wheel toggle now brings up assertiveness setting for the autopilot instead. I found my explanation in the MS forums, so thought I would post it here. I apologize if it's already posted, but I could not find it in the MY forum search. If you are on FSD beta, you use the right button to toggle through assertiveness settings now. Chill, Average and Aggressive (think that's right) settings also move following distance from far to near. I found myself having to disengage autopilot to close up following distance. This was especially frustrating in the overtaking lane, and aggravating to other drivers as well. FWIW, this change is not reflected in the most recent OM that I have, which was new with the 2023.2 software.

 

[jpfive]

Just found this info in the Autonomous, FSD etc section, but under a different heading line.

 

[rickt1152]

Anybody have an answer on how to adjust following distance with current FSD beta?

 

[MP3Mike]

Anybody have an answer on how to adjust following distance with current FSD beta?

The only control you have is picking the Chill, Average and Assertive profiles. You can't control the following distance directly. (And I found no difference in the following distance between any of those profiles in my limited testing.)

 

[alexcue]

The only control you have is picking the Chill, Average and Assertive profiles. You can't control the following distance directly. (And I found no difference in the following distance between any of those profiles in my limited testing.)

It does change it in my experience, and I believe that is how it set the distance. I notice it more in traffic. I also always set mine to Minimal Lane Changes.

 

[kcdk99]

Following distance on highway needs some tweaking. Its set way too far back even though I use the assertive setting. The car will actually change lanes into a faster lane fairly closely to another car (a car length or so) behind another car, but then immediately switches to an increased following distance and slows down to increase the distance, even if it's not going the speed that I have set. It's quite annoying. I'm always using the accelerator pedal to keep the car closer to the car in front because if it cuts into the passing lane between two cars it slows down the flow of traffic making the car(s) behind me slow down as well.

 

[akenis]

I have never thought follow distance was too far even with NAP. With assertiveness mode I cant tell any difference in how the car drives. Maybe aggressive will try to squeeze into a lane to pass and gain a little speed. Maybe Chill will hang out in current lane even if you have to slow down a bit….maybe wait for a nice gap to pass.

Seriously wish it would give me more follow distance…a good 3 potatoes! You guys that always want to tailgate and change lanes are the cause of accidents and traffic. You know this because when a car cuts you off, your Tesla slows done, and then the car behind you has to slam on brakes, and a car a mile behind you has to slow down= TRAFFIC.

 

[Dewg]

You can please some of the people some of the time...

 

[SomeRandomNPC]

I was driving in foggy heavy rain late last night, it felt like it was tailgating on the highway in FSD 11. had to turn it off to have a comfortable following distance. I find it follows too far away in heavy low speed traffic, and not far enough away when the highway is open... like why is it a few car lengths behind when there are only two cars visible on the highway at all... it makes the other driver think we are following them or trying to send them kind of message when following that close on a deserted highway.

 

[KArnold]

I cannot seem to save the assertive setting to my profile. I prefer the chill setting but have to set it with each drive.

 

[CodemanCMC]

I cannot seem to save the assertive setting to my profile. I prefer the chill setting but have to set it with each drive.

I noticed this in the most recent FSD Beta update I’m on 11.4.9 that Assertive no longer persists. It’s annoying and I submitted a ticket to see what the FSD team or service says.

 

[legendsk]

Tesla apparently decided this new version is better / safer, so that's how it is.

 

[Gilliland]

I have never thought follow distance was too far even with NAP. With assertiveness mode I cant tell any difference in how the car drives. Maybe aggressive will try to squeeze into a lane to pass and gain a little speed. Maybe Chill will hang out in current lane even if you have to slow down a bit….maybe wait for a nice gap to pass.

Seriously wish it would give me more follow distance…a good 3 potatoes! You guys that always want to tailgate and change lanes are the cause of accidents and traffic. You know this because when a car cuts you off, your Tesla slows done, and then the car behind you has to slam on brakes, and a car a mile behind you has to slow down= TRAFFIC.

Interesting. That is exactly the reason that I would like FSD to shorten the follow distance. Say I set my speed to 77, and the guy in front of me and the guy behind me are also going 77. Then for some reason the guy in front slows to 69. My car will also slow to 69, but it will keep the large follow distance. Because there is such a large gap, the guy behind me decides that I am the problem and goes around me on my right. Then he cuts into the large gap between me and the car in front of me, and my car responds by slowing down to create another large gap. By then the next guy behind me has also decided that I am the problem, and he does the same thing. And on and on it goes.....

 

[KArnold]

I would like FSD to shorten the follow distance

On FSD 11.4.9 , the follow distance is affected directly by this setting. It works. I prefer aggressive on the highway but chill on the streets.

 

[Peterkn4]

I think removing the distance options was not a good move. I used it often depending on the situation. For example, I would set it really low when I didn't want people cutting in front of me; setting it to aggressive might make me the one cutting ppl off which I don't want to do.

 

[troubledcure]

I think it all has to do with the lack of ultra-sonic sensors in Teslas from 2023 on. My 2018 M3 with FSD used to have amazing autonomous cruise control for long drives. It’s similar to the the inaccuracy problem with parking assist noises. Now, with the current follow distance in my 2024 MY, I pretty much only use FSD when I’m driving with no one else on the road. It’s kind of useless in traffic because the follow distance makes it so that people behind will continually change lanes and go around you because they can see the car’s leaving a huge gap.

I’m really crossing my fingers that it will improve at some point, but—at least for Southern California freeway driving—it’s not really a functional system anymore. I would absolutely pay whatever it cost to put the sensors back if it would improve this, since the system was great before. It couldn’t handle stop signs, traffic lights, and one lane roads very well, but for the most important use case for: sitting in stop and go freeway traffic, it was amazing.

I’m starting to worry that it’s never going to get any better, in which, case, I probably would have been better off with a Hyundai, Lexus, Subaru or something. At this point, FSD is worse for freeway traffic than just normal standard ACC in most new cars.

 

[Resist]

I really don't like that we now can't change just the follow distance without also effecting lane changes.

 

[SidetrackedSue]

I think it all has to do with the lack of ultra-sonic sensors in Teslas from 2023 on.

The USS is only used at low speeds, like when parking. Before my radar was disabled by tesla, I would get the red squiggly lines while driving on roads in winter indicating how close I was to the snow banks. Those are gone now, along with my radar.

 

[acmem]

Interesting. That is exactly the reason that I would like FSD to shorten the follow distance. Say I set my speed to 77, and the guy in front of me and the guy behind me are also going 77. Then for some reason the guy in front slows to 69. My car will also slow to 69, but it will keep the large follow distance. Because there is such a large gap, the guy behind me decides that I am the problem and goes around me on my right. Then he cuts into the large gap between me and the car in front of me, and my car responds by slowing down to create another large gap. By then the next guy behind me has also decided that I am the problem, and he does the same thing. And on and on it goes.....

Exactly what happens to me. Very annoying!

 

[KArnold]

The USS is only used at low speeds, like when parking. Before my radar was disabled by tesla, I would get the red squiggly lines while driving on roads in winter indicating how close I was to the snow banks. Those are gone now, along with my radar.

My '17 MS obviously has USS. I get the yellow/red squiggly lines while driving on 12.3.4. In fact they stand out more as FSD likes to hug the right side regularly.

Is Vision more accurate (or as accurate) than USS in tight spots? I do use summon while carefully watching to back out of a tight garage - maybe 2" clearance between the folded mirror and door on exit. It works well. But can Vision do that?

I also use the "x inches" indicator when pulling in to the garage so I know I'm in far enough. With Vision do I need to put the stringed ping pong ball back up? That's silly.

I may need to decline updates for a while again.