Highway safety?

[Darthgamer64]

Hey it’s, I am legally blind and I am getting a model 3 mainly for the autonomous features. While Tesla’s aren’t bad, they really aren’t my top choice for a car. I want an Acura or Chevy but I’ve had it with my struggle. I love to drive. I live in New Jersey and they made it hard as hell to give me a license for my eyesight disability. I love driving but I hate driving at night. I wasn’t even allowed to drive at night but New Jersey got rid of any restrictions and I need to work plus my girlfriend lives in PA so I have no choice but to drive at night.

I recently got in an accident driving on the highway at night. This stupid person was stopped completely on the right most lane in her crappy BMW. I saw the emergency lights but I thought she was slowing down but it was too late to break completely. I’m getting the model 3 because I work in IT heldesk making crap money, so basically I’m poor. My current job is so close to home but I’m basically limiting myself with jobs because of this constant fear. I realize that I’ve got almost a year for delivery. Given the current state of the autonomous vehicle system, how well would you guys rate the system?

Tesla does not really talk about it but say I’m going 65, can the car stop completely and safely if there is again some asshole stopped in the middle of the road on the parkway? How well does it even fare with driving long distances on the highway at night?

 

[kort677]

this has to be a troll

 

[McRat]

Relax, a large number of drivers today are blind and still operate cars. Our work truck is over 6' tall and is Fire Engine Red, and runs with the lights on. People still have a hard time seeing it.

Am I exaggerating? Go through a drive thru bank ATM. You will notice the instructions are in braille on the driver's side of the car.

 

[kort677]

Relax, a large number of drivers today are blind and still operate cars. Our work truck is over 6' tall and is Fire Engine Red, and runs with the lights on. People still have a hard time seeing it.

Am I exaggerating? Go through a drive thru bank ATM. You will notice the instructions are in braille on the driver's side of the car.

that braille sign is required by the sometimes moronic requirements of the ADA act.

 

[McRat]

that braille sign is required by the sometimes moronic requirements of the ADA act.

Tell me about it. I have a fully compliant and signed off ADA building. To put solar on the roof you must supply full blueprints and documentation of all ADA requirements, including scale parking lot drawings, bathroom full blueprints, and address all chapters even if they do not apply to your type of building.

 

[McRat]

that braille sign is required by the sometimes moronic requirements of the ADA act.

The silly part is there is a walk-up ATM with a wheelchair ramp and guardrails. But the car ATMs need it also.

 

[croman]

You both should be ashamed of yourselves for attacking people with disabilities who are trying to live their lives.

OP, I wouldn't even speculate about Tesla's AP development. What will happen, will happen. No one knows, not even Tesla.

 

[kort677]

You both should be ashamed of yourselves for attacking people with disabilities who are trying to live their lives.

OP, I wouldn't even speculate about Tesla's AP development. What will happen, will happen. No one knows, not even Tesla.

oh my, triggered? get to a safe place! nobody is attacking any person, the conversation is about some of the inane requirements of the ADA act.

 

[McRat]

You both should be ashamed of yourselves for attacking people with disabilities who are trying to live their lives.

OP, I wouldn't even speculate about Tesla's AP development. What will happen, will happen. No one knows, not even Tesla.

Why don't you tell him the facts if you think it's a serious post, and that he should be on the road with his health status?

OK, no sarcasm:

A) Tesla currently cannot demonstrate an AEB (automatic emergency braking) system that will stop a collision at 65mph with a stalled vehicle that blocks the road. It cannot reliably 'see' a stopped car that it has never seen in motion.

B) Some cars have long range night vision. They are not cheap. The best is Cadillac's system at this point. The AEB system is also very good, but I'm not sure it will fully stop at 65mph in all conditions.

C) There are no cars for sale that are autonomous enough to safely allow for drivers who lack far vision. Your safest option is probably out of your price range. The Cadillac with long range night vision (this only operates at night, it will not help long range vision during daylight hours), AEB, adaptive cruise control, and auto-steering. It is about $71,290.

 

[animorph]

For the OP:

Currently Autopilot is not really reliable when it has to stop for stationary vehicles. It does work at times, but then there are times when it screws up. As a driving aid it would be better than nothing, but you still have to be the driver. With Autopilot off Tesla is not even promising to stop the car for you, just reduce the damage.

There are no Full Self Driving features so far, and no progress reports. Too early to know how successful they will be,

 

[croman]

OK, no sarcasm:

A) Tesla currently cannot demonstrate an AEB (automatic emergency braking) system that will stop a collision at 65mph with a stalled vehicle that blocks the road. It cannot reliably 'see' a stopped car that it has never seen in motion.

The only issue I have with this post is that my AP2 will see stopped cars it has never tracked. At 65mph its a lot more dicey (I haven't tested it) but it works reliably up to 50mph.

I still don't think AP2 will be what the OP needs as you point out, no car is available. The example you cite with night vision is still inadequate nor do I think AP1/AP2 is necessarily worse. AP2 works great at night, during 14" snow events, and blinding rain. I have only encountered one situation where AP2 did not work and that was when following a truck during an intense rain event and getting the spray from the truck. Radar stopped working for 7 minutes (5 minutes after getting out from behind the truck it started working again).

 

[McRat]

The only issue I have with this post is that my AP2 will see stopped cars it has never tracked. At 65mph its a lot more dicey (I haven't tested it) but it works reliably up to 50mph.

I still don't think AP2 will be what the OP needs as you point out, no car is available. The example you cite with night vision is still inadequate nor do I think AP1/AP2 is necessarily worse. AP2 works great at night, during 14" snow events, and blinding rain. I have only encountered one situation where AP2 did not work and that was when following a truck during an intense rain event and getting the spray from the truck. Radar stopped working for 7 minutes (5 minutes after getting out from behind the truck it started working again).

It certainly boils down to the fact nobody has the technology he says he needs today.
If a car is stopped on the road and the driver needs help avoiding it at 65 mph, they should not be driving.

However, at night, if you trouble with long range vision, the Cadillac screen is closer to your eyes, and can see right through glaring headlights, haze, and detect objects at 3 times the distance of high beams.

 

[croman]

However, at night, if you trouble with long range vision, the Cadillac screen is closer to your eyes, and can see right through glaring headlights, haze, and detect objects at 3 times the distance of high beams.

I think I have to have my Dad test drive a car with this feature. He's losing confidence in his night driving and that sounds intriguing.

 

[Darthgamer64]

UPDATE!!

Sorry to freak you guys out. I realize the AP2 isn’t that great still but I just wanted to know the state of how well it would do so far. Once the model 3 gets delivered, AP3 would already be out and everyone’s saying how Tesla is testing a fully autonomous trip from NYC to LA. From what I’m reading, it doesn’t sound that great yet so probably still can’t drive at night. Daytime distance viewing isn’t that bad, thanks for the updates so far though guys, looking forward to the next update

 

[LowlyOilBurner]

What is Tesla using for AEB? Camera and radar or just camera? I didn't think radar can detect stationary objects?

 

[kort677]

UPDATE!!

Sorry to freak you guys out. I realize the AP2 isn’t that great still but I just wanted to know the state of how well it would do so far. Once the model 3 gets delivered, AP3 would already be out and everyone’s saying how Tesla is testing a fully autonomous trip from NYC to LA. From what I’m reading, it doesn’t sound that great yet so probably still can’t drive at night. Daytime distance viewing isn’t that bad, thanks for the updates so far though guys, looking forward to the next update

what leads you to believe that AP3 exists?

 

[McRat]

I think I have to have my Dad test drive a car with this feature. He's losing confidence in his night driving and that sounds intriguing.

That is why my wife bought one. She says it helps especially on mountain roads with no streetlights.

It does take some getting used to. The image is in the dash cluster, so has sort of a video game feel to it.
But since you only use it when you can't see well, it not bad.

Some cars with night vision put the imaging in the center display. This is terrible. I don't see how somebody could use it safely.

I'd say it's about as hard to adapt to as a digital rearview mirror. At first it is clumsy, but then you adapt to it, and it works great.