FSD following distance

[sleepydoc]

When driving to work this evening, I was using AP/FSD and my car seemed to be following excessively close. I tried using the scroll wheel and the following distance was set to 7 car lengths but it was more like 3 or so. Back in drivers' ed I learned you should have 3 seconds of distance between and this was more like 1.5-2.

I can't be sure if this is new with the latest update or if it was an issue before; I haven't used the latest version of FSD much, partially because I've been driving less and partially because we've had snow and bad weather. We've had some snow and the roads are mostly clear, but there's still a potential for ice so I tend to leave more following distance but it seems like AP won't let you do that.

Has anyone else noticed this?

 

[drewm3]

I believe the following distance when using FSD Beta on city streets is based on the aggressiveness setting for FSD which controls both following distance and how aggressive to make turns. If I have the following distance set to 7 then I see a big difference in the following distance when I switch between FSD (set to aggressive) and TACC.

I hope FSD eventually honors the following distance because I know would like it to take turns aggressively, but also allow for distance between cars while moving.

 

[ddbbuu]

I cannot claim that it has increased or not since brand new M3, but the nominal 7 car lengths max -- at least as currently implemented -- is WAAAAY too short for my comfort. Back in the dark ages I was taught that the rule is 2 seconds: you pass the spot on the road the car ahead of you passed at least 2 seconds ago. I have to assume the propeller-heads at Tesla understand that following distance is a speed- and not car-length-dependent measure, but as currently implemented, the maximum setting of 7 for following distance is under 2 seconds at 55mph on my M3. So I cannot use it. Way to close for my comfort. C'mon, Tesla, my previous conventional Prius had a human-response-time-aware following distance setting. I understand that FSD can respond way faster than I can, but .. in the meantime.. The measure should not be car-lengths at all, it needs to be seconds.

 

[Phil Stasik]

This following distance issue has seriously bothered me as well. The best guidance that I have found is: a minimum of 2 second following distance for daytime, dry roads, good visibility. If it's wet, use 3 seconds. If it's wet and night time, use 4 seconds, etc. Of course, if you're driving in urban rush hour traffic, it's literally bumper-to-bumper at ANY speed...

It makes me crazy that FSD Beta is unable to look far enough down the road to gradually slow the vehicle so that you do not have stop at traffic lights. I have it set to "Chill", and yet it often (but not always) rushes at cruise speed right up to stopped traffic, and then decelerates hard to a full stop -- just in time for the light to turn green. This is unsafe and inefficient. It does not seem to know how to coast, which is an important AI skill to master.

 

[sandman1330]

I seem to be having the same issue on my new Model S, but I'm still supposed to have radar...

 

[sleepydoc]

I seem to be having the same issue on my new Model S, but I'm still supposed to have radar...

Is it using radar, though? I thought the nes software versions quit using it

 

[sandman1330]

Is it using radar, though? I thought the nes software versions quit using it

I believe that’s only the case if you opt into FSD Beta, at least for now…