Safety Features - wish it had cross traffic/blind spot audible warning

[Larryfl1]

HI All,

2 items that i feel that really should be in the car compared to other cars...i think software enhancement can provide it

Rear cross traffic awareness/warning... when backing up out of a spot all my other cars have this and its great to warn you of a car coming across...

Blind spot warning beep/audible sound. It appears blind spot is being detected and turning the car red but with looking at the mirrors and not the screen when changing lanes a simple warning beep/chime would be desirable like other cars...since its detecting the car i assume again software enhancement can resolve it

Thats the 2 wish items that inexpensive cars have these days that my new Y really should have out of the gate....

Hopefully soon

 

[am_dmd]

I read a post on reddit which said Tesla is basically reluctant to license the traditional Blind spot monitoring and cross traffic alert technology and that's why we have this crappy blind spot monitoring on AP2+. Honestly I agree given Tesla's history and lack of simple BSM mirrors.

 

[Knightshade]

rear cross traffic is usually done with rear radar- which Tesla does not put on their cars.

Their idea is you should be backing into spots, so that you exit forward- which to be fair is objectively safer than backing out.

Notice auto-park backs into spots when it parks too.

 

[WECinNC]

HI All,

2 items that i feel that really should be in the car compared to other cars...i think software enhancement can provide it

Rear cross traffic awareness/warning... when backing up out of a spot all my other cars have this and its great to warn you of a car coming across...

Blind spot warning beep/audible sound. It appears blind spot is being detected and turning the car red but with looking at the mirrors and not the screen when changing lanes a simple warning beep/chime would be desirable like other cars...since its detecting the car i assume again software enhancement can resolve it

Thats the 2 wish items that inexpensive cars have these days that my new Y really should have out of the gate....

Hopefully soon

Consumer Reports just posted a complete list of safety features for each car brand (Jan 2021). The list is quite extensive for how many have rear cross traffic warning. I really like my Tesla but it totally baffles me why we don’t have this features. It is very useful. Just last week, my wife screamed at me because I started to backup while a car came speeding up behind us. She drives a Subaru Outback and it has very effective RCTW and auto emergency backup braking. I sure hope Tesla software techies get the code written for this and give to us ASAP. Anyone have any insight about how/when Tesla decides to add appropriate safety features.

 

[Knightshade]

Consumer Reports just posted a complete list of safety features for each car brand (Jan 2021). The list is quite extensive for how many have rear cross traffic warning. I really like my Tesla but it totally baffles me why we don’t have this features.

Why is explained in the post directly above yours.

. I sure hope Tesla software techies get the code written for this and give to us ASAP. .

What software do you imagine can add hardware the car physically lacks? (rear/side radar)

 

[WECinNC]

Why is explained in the post directly above yours.





What software do you imagine can add hardware the car physically lacks? (rear/side radar)

Many RCTW systems use ultrasonic sensors in combination with backup cameras. Isn’t that what the 4 rear bumper buttons are?

 

[WECinNC]

Why is explained in the post directly above yours.





What software do you imagine can add hardware the car physically lacks? (rear/side radar)

We have blind spot monitoring. RCTW systems often use the same hardware.

 

[WECinNC]

rear cross traffic is usually done with rear radar- which Tesla does not put on their cars.

Their idea is you should be backing into spots, so that you exit forward- which to be fair is objectively safer than backing out.

Notice auto-park backs into spots when it parks too.

And also it’s sonic sensors which Tesla uses. Have you never parked in a lot that mandated no backing into the space. They exist. Have you ever seen people hit other cars when trying to back in? I’m not buying this explanations: seems lame.

 

[Knightshade]

We have blind spot monitoring. RCTW systems often use the same hardware.

Blind spot monitoring in the Tesla uses the cameras that can't see the places they'd need to for rear cross traffic warning unless there's nobody in any of the spots to either side of you.

And also it’s sonic sensors which Tesla uses.

And have very poor range compared to radar, and can't see stuff very close to the car either.... the max range is about 24 feet.

Or roughly 1.5 car lengths.

Not likely to provide much useful warning is it?

This is not a new discussion.

Rear Cross Traffic Alert

That's teslas own forums, from 2017.

Pointing out ultrasonics are not up to this job.

The couple times someone in the thread tries to claim "Well such and such car does it..." it's then shown to them it does it using rear/side radar- not just with ultrasonics- and Tesla does not offer rear/side radar.

Have you never parked in a lot that mandated no backing into the space.

Nope.

Have you ever seen people hit other cars when trying to back in? I’m not buying this explanations: seems lame.

Like- sober people? No, I haven't seen that either.

It's a fact that backing in (and then pulling out forward) is safer.

Professional drivers/truckers are literally taught this in driving school.

It's also a fact the auto-park feature on the car (which presumably is how they expect it to park itself once FSD is legitimately driving for you) backs into spots 100% of the time when parking.

 

[CapsEngineer]

It's a fact that backing in (and then pulling out forward) is safer.

Professional drivers/truckers are literally taught this in driving school.

This is true. I once worked for a national package delivery company and we all had to take driver training and backing into all spots was taught.

 

[TJ73]

I back in mostly but backing in is not always possible - diagonal parking spots on one way traffic for example.

 

[Knightshade]

I back in mostly but backing in is not always possible - diagonal parking spots on one way traffic for example.

If it's one-way traffic and angled parking you don't need cross traffic warning to back out of the spot- there's no cross traffic for one, it's all the same way...

For another since you're backing out at a significant angle you can easily see oncoming one-way traffic with the backup cam.

 

[TJ73]

If it's one-way traffic and angled parking you don't need cross traffic warning to back out of the spot- there's no cross traffic for one, it's all the same way...

For another since you're backing out at a significant angle you can easily see oncoming one-way traffic with the backup cam.

Probably true 99.9% of the time but there are times I am parked next to very large vans/trucks that obstruct a clear view on either side (car or peds with carts). I've also witnessed idiots reverse on the one way to get to a spot they've already passed. Fringe cases where cross traffic is most appreciated.

 

[PhantomX]

Probably true 99.9% of the time but there are times I am parked next to very large vans/trucks that obstruct a clear view on either side (car or peds with carts). I've also witnessed idiots reverse on the one way to get to a spot they've already passed. Fringe cases where cross traffic is most appreciated.

Agreed. It's an insurance policy in a sense. You don't need it 99.99% of the time, but it's that one time when a car jump out of a blind because of an obstacle, or worst yet, a little kid. Regardless whose at fault, getting into an accident is never fun. Also, comparing my Model 3 rear view camera to others cars we have, the Model 3 camera field of view is much smaller. I often wonder why a car under $30K can have rear cross traffic warning and proper blind spot monitor when Tesla is quite limited.

 

[Cheburashka]

Backing into a spot doesn't make sense if you will need to use the trunk.

For example, at a Costco parking lot.

It's just a basic feature that Tesla totally missed out on for whatever reason. Just like 360 degree view.

 

[WECinNC]

I’m not about to “sell” my Tesla but most of the responses seem to indicate that it is not needed or Tesla screwed up by not having a radar in the rear. It will be very interesting to see how Tesla implements FSD level 4 and 5 without RCTW and reverse AEB. Surely you agree the vehicle will have to go backwards. Thanks for your responses.

 

[Knightshade]

It will have to go backward occasionally, sure.

It won't have to do so from a blind 90 degree parking spot position where you need rear cross-traffic necessarily though- since as noted the auto-park feature backs into spots and pulls out forward.


The only real 'problem' with this approach is the lots where supposedly parking that way is not legal.

I've not seen such spots, but folks have occasionally posted pictures of such places in various threads so I suppose they exist.


OTOH once you have L5, the car can just park someplace ELSE legally, and come pick you up when you're ready for it.

Backing into a spot doesn't make sense if you will need to use the trunk.

For example, at a Costco parking lot.

Sure it does- since you'll use smart summon to have the car pull out forward and meet you at the curb for loading.

It's just a basic feature that Tesla totally missed out on for whatever reason. Just like 360 degree view.

Again the car lacks the sensors to provide this. The cameras it does have are in the wrong place, and of the wrong type (none of the front cameras can see below the hood line for example)

It- like the one above with the trunk thing- is another example of Tesla having designed the car expecting to get to L5 way sooner than they've actually been able to- the thinking being why would you need a 360 parking view when the car is parking itself?


If Tesla had gotten L5 working 3 years ago like they originally thought- you wouldn't care about any of these missing features because you'd never need em.

3 years later, it's not ready yet- but so far they're sticking to their guns that the current sensor suite is sufficient for L5.

If they ever decide otherwise they have a big problem- 1 million plus cars already on the road they promised had enough sensors for FSD (and more every day)