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Germany Rules on Using Tesla Screen Wiper Controls

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Is this really a problem Do you think Tesla will be forced to fix this issue
Tesla's wiper controls through its touchscreen have been ruled illegal in Germany after someone crashed their Model 3 while using them and fought a fine and driving ban through the court system. A Tesla Model 3 driver got into an accident while using the touchscreen to adjust the speed of the automatic windshield wipers. In Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, Tesla didn't install normal windshield wiper settings through a steering wheel stalk. Instead, the automaker is detecting the rain through its Autopilot cameras and automatically adjusting the speed based on the strength of the rainfall. If the driver wants to adjust the speed, they need to do it through the center touchscreen. The driver in Germany was adjusting those settings when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed. A local district court gave him a fine and a one-month driving ban and that's where the problem started for Tesla. He decided to fight the punishment -- bringing the case to the Higher Regional Court (OLG)."It comes as no surprise that enlightened Germans would be the first to rule Tesla's poly engineered cars a road hazard," adds Slashdot reader Rei_is_a_dumbass. "Touch screen interfaces have no place in cars."
 
More user intensive, but hands on wheel:
To perform a single wipe with the windshield wipers, press and immediately release the button on the end of the left-hand steering column lever.
wipers.PNG
 
"Called it."

Any comment saying "but it's designed to be automatic, and it will get better so doesn't need physical controls" is indefensible. This is why you can't ship half-baked ideas in an automobile that are safety-critical systems. Tactile controls are 100% necessary for such functions. The driver wasn't stupid, they were human. A car is a 4000lb human interface device. Design it for the human controlling it!

Personally, I find myself "manually timing" it with the single presses until I can divert enough attention from the road to the touchscreen. In sudden rain events, I really dislike this process. And no, auto mode doesn't work well enough all the time.

There is another thread on this, but you can control the wipers (on, off, speed etc) with voice commands, so there is no need to actually touch the screen to "turn them on"

For one, doesn't this only work if you have cellular connectivity?

Second, this is such an unnatural and slow way to adjust something you might want adjusted fairly quickly. I don't think I could keep my speech-recognition-friendly tone for that case.
 
I still think that my "context sensitive wiper control" idea fixes this.

If you turn this (future) setting on, it converts your left steering wheel scroll wheel into a wiper control for 3 seconds whenever the manual wiper button is pressed.

Clicking the scroll wheel will turn the wipers off/on, rolling the wheel up and down will change wiper speed.
 
I still think that my "context sensitive wiper control" idea fixes this.

If you turn this (future) setting on, it converts your left steering wheel scroll wheel into a wiper control for 3 seconds whenever the manual wiper button is pressed.

Clicking the scroll wheel will turn the wipers off/on, rolling the wheel up and down will change wiper speed.
Or just multiple short presses on the stalk button to cycle modes.
 
The wipers have been my most serious criticism since getting my M3 in December 2018. The interface just sucks. Yes, I like the single push on the control stick. Yes, the new voice command is an improvement. But, like others on this thread, incorporating the controls on the left stick and the left controls wheel makes a lot of sense, One can only hope...
 
Interesting response in CleanTechnica:

Tesla Windshield Wiper Confusion Across News Outlets — Widespread Misreporting Misleads


Tesla Windshield Wiper Confusion Across News Outlets — Widespread Misreporting Misleads

[...]

#1 — The driver could have used voice control to increase the wiper frequency in the situation he was in without taking his eyes from the road for a second.

#2 — He could press the manual wiper start button on the stick beside the driver wheel a few times even if it only starts a one-time wiper move, and in the meantime try to find a safe place to stop the vehicle. To do that, he does not need to look away from the road.

#3 — As an alternative, he could have engaged Autopilot, which keeps the car reliably dead center in the middle of the lane even in heavy rain and allows you to adjust the wiper frequency on the display in a safe way.

The driver did have 3 safe options to avoid the accident, but instead chose a fourth option and spent too much time doing it, which is illegal, and caused an accident.
 
IMO, the on-screen wiper controls are poorly positioned.They do take attention away from driving when making adjustments. I would have placed them around the car's avatar like the backup cam and charge port, but located at the top as a one-touch button with slide speed adjustments left or right. This does not excuse the driver that crashed though, but it's legitimate gripe.

With that said, I really enjoy the voice commands which I've been using exclusively lately. You can simply say wipers on, or wipers faster, wipers auto, wipers off etc. It's effective and the recognition works very well. Sure, the response time could be a little quicker but it's more than adequate, IMO.
 
That guy at cleantechnica isn't serious, is he? In the middle of a heavy downpour the driver should have handed control over to a system that is - according to its manufacturer - only "beta" and needs to be supervised at all times? Most likely on a back road that would be challenging for the autopilot even in dry conditions?
If you need to go into elaborate descriptions for anything as basic as increasing wiper speed, instead of simply saying "flip the switch one step higher", then a poor design choice has been made.
Voice control is definitively no replacement for control switches. People may have an accent or they may not be native speakers and there isn't time to search for the right word in an emergency situation.
 
That guy at cleantechnica isn't serious, is he? In the middle of a heavy downpour the driver should have handed control over to a system that is - according to its manufacturer - only "beta" and needs to be supervised at all times? Most likely on a back road that would be challenging for the autopilot even in dry conditions?
If you need to go into elaborate descriptions for anything as basic as increasing wiper speed, instead of simply saying "flip the switch one step higher", then a poor design choice has been made.
Voice control is definitively no replacement for control switches. People may have an accent or they may not be native speakers and there isn't time to search for the right word in an emergency situation.
Cleantechnica is kind of a meme.

Tesla needs to just program the wiper control a bit differently with a software update. I'm sure it's not very hard.
 
Well I hope the person did not sustain any injury's but seriously... The problem is with humans is we really do things in split reactionary seconds to solve a problem. So lets say you are in a situation where the rain comes down hard I think all will agree this will block your view if not dealt with fast. On any other car if the auto has not kicked in already its one notch on the steering wheel stalk. On a Tesla it is auto if set and this sometimes falls alseep or triggers in the sun with no rain as I found out on the motorway a couple of days ago. So if you read the manual you know to just press that button in on the stalk and it will wipe. Job done. But here is the human thing again what if the auto does not wipe away quick enough which again I have found personally on my model 3 this happens. The only option is to then look down, tap the screen, change the speed. Now there is nothing wrong with that. But whenever someone has to take their eye off the road for a second that is too long for a chain of events. Forget voice command it still cant even understand my command to say call, climate etc. Sometimes this takes a few attempts and I believe I speak clearly. This is too long in some situations. So that is my take on it an accident in this situation is possible. But I do not think it is the fault of Tesla or should make the touch screen controls illegal. But it does show that as humans driving a car our attention needs to be up front. If anything a model 3 needs to legally be made to have a HUD to display speed in front of you. Now wait a second I am not complaining but pointing that out of eye line... its another thing you have to look away from ahead. Verdict though driver error for sure. But I hope you get my point about anything functional that means the driver has to take away a look from ahead. Familiar with the controls or not. Its different not having them on the steering wheel to look down and start to find on touch screen.
 
Cleantechnica is kind of a meme.

Tesla needs to just program the wiper control a bit differently with a software update. I'm sure it's not very hard.
Since when has Tesla (in the past 5 years) made a (quick) firmware improvement / fix?
I am temporarily driving a MINI Cooper. Switches! I do not miss the Model S center screen.
Why?
It kept getting downgraded with no option to keep the current rev (easily).
Wiper controls are designed to be on the stalk. Human intuition?
Would this be a German homolgation issue or Europe wide?
 
That guy at cleantechnica isn't serious, is he? In the middle of a heavy downpour the driver should have handed control over to a system that is - according to its manufacturer - only "beta" and needs to be supervised at all times? Most likely on a back road that would be challenging for the autopilot even in dry conditions?
If you need to go into elaborate descriptions for anything as basic as increasing wiper speed, instead of simply saying "flip the switch one step higher", then a poor design choice has been made.
Voice control is definitively no replacement for control switches. People may have an accent or they may not be native speakers and there isn't time to search for the right word in an emergency situation.
Don’t you know that working at any EV “news” outlet requires that you come into this world a sanctimonious prick incapable of making mistakes? That is a fundamental employment requirement, as TESLA is a perfect entity that can do no wrong. HEIL TESLA!