PSA: CAREFUL--Autopilot sudden braking

[run-the-joules]

The longer this goes on, the more drivers that the system will train to mash the accelerator when the car brakes unexpectedly. Think about that for a moment. Peoples’ first reaction is to countermand the system, because of so many false events. What’s going to happen when it’s a good reason to brake but the human just didn’t notice it?

The boy who cried wolf, in modern form.

 

[lampcord]

For the record, this isn't a Tesla only issue. The Radar Cruise on my CX-5 does this occasionally too. Usually it get's confused by slower traffic in another lane while going around a bend. And like the rest of you, I'm always ready to push down on the gas pedal to override it.

Of course, Tesla can theoretically fix or incrementally improve this over time via software updates. Mazda? Not so much...

 

[toastyToast]

I have same problem in my model 3 . However, the cruise control in my honda crv has never run into phantom breaking. CRV has its own issue of not seeing traffic far enough and doing urgent brakes.

 

[crouch]

This has happened to me 5 or 6 times recently while using AutoPilot. I’m on 2019.8.3. In each case I think the shadow of the car ahead of me in the adjacent lane freaked the system into suddenly braking. It probably thought those cars were coming over into my lane even though they weren’t making any such move. Each time I was in the left lane and there were cars ahead of me in the right lane, near-ish the lane dividing line. But it is totally random since hundreds/thousands of times there have been shadows cast into the left lane by cars ahead of me in the right lane that the system didn’t react to.

I’ve been trying to pay more attention recently to the specific factors that might cause it (for example if it happens when I am behind another car in my lane) but of course it has temporarily stopped now that I am paying extra attention and ready to make a report to Tesla.

 

[toastyToast]

Happened to me last week on a grey seattle day. My M3 misread shadow of overhead bridge as another car and slammed the breaks to drop to 45 from 68. Luckily no one was behind me. Its weird because i am doing same commute from last 3 weeks and it only happened once.

 

[ngogas]

Happened to me twice. Early on edition and once on 5.x. Scary but getting use to intervening.

 

[Leafdriver333]

My brand new model 3 did it 4 times on a 250 mile trip this weekend.
Fortunately, no one was tailgating me.

 

[Silver Ghost]

It usually happens to me in the same 4 spots of my commute every day. When I am on the freeway with speed limit of 75 - the car momentarily thinks I an on the feeder road with a 45 mph limit and breaks. To alleviate this - I usually drive on the freeway with regenerative breaking set to “mild” and “chill” not sports mode. And keep my foot on the accelerator- so I can act.
For the model S ( it is much gentler) - but in the P3D+; it jerks you and will cause a crash. It is a sports car and the stickey tires hold better than most other cars.

 

[Leafdriver333]

It braked hard again at 75mph as we were going under a freeway overpass. Scared the *sugar* out of everyone.

 

[seattlite2004]

Does the "sudden braking" occur when both TACC and Autosteer are enabled? What about just only TACC enabled...does the "sudden braking" feature still occur?

 

[Leafdriver333]

Does the "sudden braking" occur when both TACC and Autosteer are enabled? What about just only TACC enabled...does the "sudden braking" feature still occur?

we were on full autopilot.
Not on NoA, however. I don't think it matters. AP or NoA..

 

[SalisburySam]

I got into the habit of submitting a bug report and pressing the camera icon when unanticipated braking happens. This allows me to later on go over what was happening at least from the view of the vehicle camera(s) to try to determine why. I also try to quickly scan what mode(s) the car is in and verbally speak that into an iOS Notepad note on my iPhone6 and now 7. Results? No consistent answer that I can find causing the glitches. Frustrating.

 

[Leafdriver333]

I got into the habit of submitting a bug report and pressing the camera icon when unanticipated braking happens. This allows me to later on go over what was happening at least from the view of the vehicle camera(s) to try to determine why. I also try to quickly scan what mode(s) the car is in and verbally speak that into an iOS Notepad note on my iPhone6 and now 7. Results? No consistent answer that I can find causing the glitches. Frustrating.

If there was a clear pattern, Elon would have fixed it already I guess. It is frustrating because I really like using AP.
Phantom braking ruins the experience.

 

[nvx1977]

this is a reaction time problem with the current processing capability of the AP computer. I suspect this issue goes away (or becomes extremely rare) on HW3.

 

[Tiger1]

Hope it gets fixed soon. It happens one or two times on my daily commute esp on the way back when there's less traffic.

 

[Silver Ghost]

Does the "sudden braking" occur when both TACC and Autosteer are enabled? What about just only TACC enabled...does the "sudden braking" feature still occur?

I was on NoA

 

[afadeev]

this is a reaction time problem with the current processing capability of the AP computer. I suspect this issue goes away (or becomes extremely rare) on HW3.

I don't think so.
Phantom braking is a plague for auto-pilot/auto-steer solutions across multiple OEM brands: Tesla, BMW, Honda, VW.
At least those are the ones I've experienced doing it first-hand, so far.

Some of that is camera mis-characterizing dark patches as cars (Mobileye and Tesla), or failing to correlate road turns with incoming traffic trajectory.
Some of that is radar doing the same as above.
Some of that are software bugs.

Phantom braking is a PITA, but you sort-of learn to anticipate conditions when it's likely to occur, and can over-ride it with your foot on the accelerator. Driving on one-lane roads with cars parked along the shoulder is guaranteed to trigger phantom braking even if there is plenty of room in the lane. Same for curved roads with incoming traffic. Same for shadows/overpasses.

There is one of the reasons why all quasi-autopilots, including Tesla's, keep remind drivers to stay alert, and be prepared to take over control of the car.
This is one of those reasons.

a

 

[127.0.0.0]

Also when it does happen please do a bug report. So tesla auto pilot team can get detail logs and look at this for future correction.

 

[WallyP]

Are there any updates on a fix for the phantom braking issue?

It's been a couple of months since the last comments on this thread, and I am now on version 2019.16.2, but I am still experiencing errors on a daily basis.

 

[lampcord]

Are there any updates on a fix for the phantom braking issue?

It's been a couple of months since the last comments on this thread, and I am now on version 2019.16.2, but I am still experiencing errors on a daily basis.

So far I've only had that once and it was on backroads.Never on the highway. I'm on 2019.15.103.
I'm starting to wonder if it's a hardware issue. Maybe a problem with one of the forward looking cameras.