Pedestrian Avoidance in Auto-Pilot Circa March 2019

[SageBrush]

I'm tempted to buy the Auto-Pilot upgrade being offered for my Model 3 LR bought 6/2018. Not so much for the TACC or Lane keeping functions since most of my driving is local, but the pedestrian avoidance. What is the actual functionality of this feature ? As in, how well does it work and what are its limitations for now ?

 

[Daniel in SD]

I'm tempted to buy the Auto-Pilot upgrade being offered for my Model 3 LR bought 6/2018. Not so much for the TACC or Lane keeping functions since most of my driving is local, but the pedestrian avoidance. What is the actual functionality of this feature ? As in, how well does it work and what are its limitations for now ?

Automatic emergency braking is included in all Model 3s. No idea if it works for pedestrians though. Autopilot won't give you any additional features unless you're using it and you shouldn't be using it on city streets.

 

[SageBrush]

Automatic emergency braking is included in all Model 3s. No idea if it works for pedestrians though. Autopilot won't give you any additional features unless you're using it and you shouldn't be using it on city streets.

That sort of makes sense but pedestrian avoidance on the highway ?

 

[KenF]

At this time, automatic emergency breaking only works with vehicles, and it uses only the forward sensors (not the cameras). There is currently no pedestrian (or animal) avoidance on the Model 3 except when using Autopilot. Hopefully, Tesla adds that feature in the future.

 

[NoTDI]

Autopilot does not even avoid cars on the freeway in special circumstances. It has a blind spot when cars or motorcycles merge into your lane. I have been very brave to wait long enough to see if it reacts but I chicken out when they are inches away.
I always report bug report but not sure what happens to those.
With that said it works flawlessly with exception of occasional slam in the breaks!

 

[SageBrush]

^^ I see. Thanks.
Can AP be engaged in the city and only take advantage of the pedestrian avoidance ?

 

[SageBrush]

Autopilot does not even avoid cars on the freeway in special circumstances. It has a blind spot when cars or motorcycles merge into your lane. I have been very brave to wait long enough to see if it reacts but I chicken out when they are inches away.
I always report bug report but not sure what happens to those.
With that said it works flawlessly with exception of occasional slam in the breaks!

I appreciate any safety feature that makes me a better driver. So while I would like Tesla AP to be perfect, it does not have to be in order to have extra-ordinary value to me.

 

[KenF]

^^ I see. Thanks.
Can AP be engaged in the city and only take advantage of the pedestrian avoidance ?

No. At this time, Autopilot mode is intended only for highways.

In Autopilot, the car automatically steers, slows, and accelerates. Autopilot currently ignores stop lights, stop signs, and other road signs.

 

[NoTDI]

I appreciate any safety feature that makes me a better driver. So while I would like Tesla AP to be perfect, it does not have to be in order to have extra-ordinary value to me.

I could not imagine life without it now that have used in my 66 miles round trip commute

 

[drj3]

Any improvements to the ability to avoid collisions with pedestrians is likely to be pushed out to all cars as a standard safety feature. Tesla does this with AEB and side collision avoidance which are standard on even the $35000 base Model 3.

 

[gaswalla]

I dunno.. AP can't see a large tractor trailer in front of it, not too confident about it avoiding a moving person

 

[OPRCE]

Several times since 48.12.2 I have noticed AP slowing for pedestrians on a zebra-crossing as I approached at 50kmh, and it either resumed pace as they cleared off the lane or I then took over as unwilling to test if it would actually have stopped.

Since 2019.4.3 it certainly seems to visualise pedestrians and bicycles noticeably better in the IC.

 

[SageBrush]

Several times since 48.12.2 I have noticed AP slowing for pedestrians on a zebra-crossing as I approached at 50kmh, and it either resumed pace as they cleared off the lane or I then took over as unwilling to test if it would actually have stopped.

Since 2019.4.3 it certainly seems to visualise pedestrians and bicycles noticeably better in the IC.

Are you saying AP is active in city driving ?

 

[OPRCE]

Not recommended but it can be activated anywhere the road markings are clear.

 

[SageBrush]

Not recommended but it can be activated anywhere the road markings are clear.

Is that what you were doing ?
I'm still unclear why a driver could not engage AP in the city and retain complete steeering/speed control.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

If you're concerned about pedestrian detection you only have one option.

That option is FSD for $5K.

You have to get FSD to get the HW3 upgrade (as far as we know right now).

The HW3 upgrade is tremendously important to pedestrian detection as it allows the neural network (what's used for pedestrian detection) to operate with greater speed/accuracy.

You already have pedestrian detection as a standard feature. It's part of Automatic Emergency braking and Forward collision warning. So you won't gain anything by simply getting AP.

If I was in your shoes I would either get nothing, or I'd get FSD.

You mostly drive in city streets so you don't gain a much with AP, and city driving (under AP) will only be good with FSD (its part of what it's for).

 

[OPRCE]

Is that what you were doing ?
I'm still unclear why a driver could not engage AP in the city and retain complete steeering/speed control.

Yes.

Not sure what you mean exactly by second sentence but over here it cannot go faster than the speed limit when off the motorway.

I naturally was in complete control of AP, just that the vehicle slowed a bit about 80m short of pedestrians on the Xing, like it would do if coming up behind a stopped vehicle.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

At this time, automatic emergency breaking only works with vehicles, and it uses only the forward sensors (not the cameras). There is currently no pedestrian (or animal) avoidance on the Model 3 except when using Autopilot. Hopefully, Tesla adds that feature in the future.

The IIHS is adding Pedestrian detection/braking to the tests they're doing.

IIHS to test pedestrian detection systems
IIHS Adds Pedestrian-Detection Systems to Testing Regimen

So Tesla absolutely has to have pedestrian detection (if it's not already there) or they're going to fail big time.

Here is a good article on systems that do really well (like a Subaru), and one system that did so badly that it received no credit (the BMW X1).

SUVs Fare Well in First Test of Pedestrian-Detection Systems

 

[Ramona48]

This sucks. I bought the m3 to make me a safer driver only to find out now that it apparently does not detect and avoid pedestrianpedestrian. Personally at age 74 , safety is the only reason I bought a tesla

 

[Ramona48]

Sorry for the double