Safety issue

[groovidad]

I find the rear camera VERY broad(as has been stated “180 degrees”)it took a bit realizing I could see further left and right than the Lexus is250 I turned in for the 3. Sure, warning sensors would be nice but, in researching the 3 for well over 1 1/2 yrs, I never saw that the 3 was outfitted with “RTCA”. So, if I’m reading some of you correctly, you purchased a 3 “knowing” you would not get RTCA OR you didn’t do your research(?)

 

[Feathermerchan]

My beetle had no rear camera or back up aid. It was a 61.
If you work for any company that has a fleet of vehicles they teach their drivers to back into parking places, pull thru and NEVER backup. It is the single leading cause of commercial driving accidents. It is also a public liability.
I had a 1989 minivan I put a backup beeper on it. Guess what? Pedestrians ignored it completely in parking lots and everywhere else. I could be backing out (car moving) and they would walk right behind it. When you pull put, they make eye contact and are far more likely to yield. Please be careful backing up. Small kids are short and hard to see. Mute the music too so you can hear.

 

[lolder]

Backing the M3 into a vertical parking space is easy.

 

[67King]

It's ABSOLUTELY a safety issue. The rear camera is NOT a replacement for rear RADAR. Rear cross-traffic alert literally ALERTS you to movement you can't see to the rear sides of you. There's no such feature on the Tesla, and it's a bummer there isn't.

You do realize that there were cars for well over 100 years before any of these driver AIDS were out there, don't you? I mean, I get the "if the technology exists, put it on" position. But a safety issue is something that is, you know.....dangerous. It is a bit like asserting that cars without accident avoidance, or the traffic aware aspect of cruise control are dangerous. No, they are not. There is nothing about these cars that precludes backing up the way people have done for over 100 years, by looking over their shoulder. For that matter, I have been trying to get used to the backup camera, and frankly, I don't like it. I look like a &^*% fool when I try to park at a superrcharger, because it takes me 3 times to get into the spot. Look over my shoulder, not a problem at all.

 

[WilliamG]

You do realize that there were cars for well over 100 years before any of these driver AIDS were out there, don't you? I mean, I get the "if the technology exists, put it on" position. But a safety issue is something that is, you know.....dangerous. It is a bit like asserting that cars without accident avoidance, or the traffic aware aspect of cruise control are dangerous. No, they are not. There is nothing about these cars that precludes backing up the way people have done for over 100 years, by looking over their shoulder. For that matter, I have been trying to get used to the backup camera, and frankly, I don't like it. I look like a &^*% fool when I try to park at a superrcharger, because it takes me 3 times to get into the spot. Look over my shoulder, not a problem at all.

Yes yes. Cars without ABS weren’t dangerous either, right? I mean come on. We’re not saying that without cross-traffic alerts the car is dangerous. We’re saying that it makes the car safer. And it does.

And yes, the backup camera is crap. Extremely wide angle, hard to determine how close you are to objects closer than 12” away (when the screen simply says “STOP”).

 

[Knightshade]

Yes yes. Cars without ABS weren’t dangerous either, right? I mean come on. We’re not saying that without cross-traffic alerts the car is dangerous. We’re saying that it makes the car safer. And it does.

And yes, the backup camera is crap. Extremely wide angle, hard to determine how close you are to objects closer than 12” away (when the screen simply says “STOP”).

It's almost like there's a reason that auto-park backs into spaces or something.

 

[lbowroom]

The camera is crap because it's too wide angle and doesn't give you distance less than 12"? How close do you want to get to the kids you don't want to hit?

 

[groovidad]

You do realize that there were cars for well over 100 years before any of these driver AIDS were out there, don't you? I mean, I get the "if the technology exists, put it on" position. But a safety issue is something that is, you know.....dangerous. It is a bit like asserting that cars without accident avoidance, or the traffic aware aspect of cruise control are dangerous. No, they are not. There is nothing about these cars that precludes backing up the way people have done for over 100 years, by looking over their shoulder. For that matter, I have been trying to get used to the backup camera, and frankly, I don't like it. I look like a &^*% fool when I try to park at a superrcharger, because it takes me 3 times to get into the spot. Look over my shoulder, not a problem at all.

I will admit, it took some adjusting to backing into a spot using the camera....even on my last 2 cars but, with practice, patience and some trust in the deliniators, I've gotten quite good at it. Now, it's rare that I have to look over my shoulder, though I do still check left, right before backing.

 

[WilliamG]

It's almost like there's a reason that auto-park backs into spaces or something.

We’re not talking about backing into a space. We’re talking about reversing out of a space when a car is coming by. Cross traffic alerts...alert you.

 

[groovidad]

Yes yes. Cars without ABS weren’t dangerous either, right? I mean come on. We’re not saying that without cross-traffic alerts the car is dangerous. We’re saying that it makes the car safer. And it does.

And yes, the backup camera is crap. Extremely wide angle, hard to determine how close you are to objects closer than 12” away (when the screen simply says “STOP”).

Yes, rear proximity alert for the 12" or so, such as the ones on the sides of the vehicle would be nice. Maybe we'll see in the future(?) I realize we are talking about "RTCA" yet, backing in is a pretty common thing, as well. I've almost backed into posts in parking garages.

 

[WilliamG]

Yes, rear proximity alert for the 12" or so, such as the ones on the sides of the vehicle would be nice. Maybe we'll see in the future(?)

It wouldn’t be a problem if the camera weren’t so wide-angled. In my Golf it was so easy to tell. Cross traffic alerts and a camera that made it so easy to tell how close you are to object meant the Golf was infinitely better for getting out of tight spaces.

 

[Knightshade]

We’re not talking about backing into a space. We’re talking about reversing out of a space when a car is coming by. Cross traffic alerts...alert you.

You don't need such alerts if you back into the spot instead.

Which as mentioned is much safer in general- and explicitly recommended to commercial drivers as such.

And is why that's how the car parks itself- because pulling out forward is safer than pulling out backward.


Complaining about a safety issue when you're picking the more dangerous way to park doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[groovidad]

You don't need such alerts if you back into the spot instead.

Which as mentioned is much safer in general- and explicitly recommended to commercial drivers as such.

And is why that's how the car parks itself- because pulling out forward is safer than pulling out backward.


Complaining about a safety issue when you're picking the more dangerous way to park doesn't make a lot of sense.

I beg to differ, somewhat. Backing in (I'm not talkiing about the sleep-lulling auto park) can be tricky, especially when you have the camera and side delineators that are "static" in the 3. In my last car the delineators were in a box configuration. You start "green" go to "yellow" when being cautioned and "red" means STOP!! Can't tell you how many times that saved my rear bumper! Like a warm blanket, comforting. Yes, we are talking about "RTCA" and a valuable feature, indeed. Hey, most of us have women in our lives and we all know how they are with "parking". Regardless, hopefully in the future, we will see a refinement to our vehicles. The glory or OTAU's!

 

[lolder]

I find backing in very easy with the M3.

 

[WilliamG]

I'm going to bet that most people that disagree about the cross-traffic alert RADAR system being great have never owned a car with it. It's night and day better for reversing than what we have in the 3.

In general I find the slow-speed interface in the Model 3 to be not great. In the front you can't tell how close you are to say - a parking curb, so you have to just sort of guess that you are close enough without running it over or scraping up the front bumper. The on-screen warnings only tell you up to a FOOT in closeness to any wall etc in front or rear - which is not close enough for city driving when you're parking in tight spaces. In the rear you have an extremely wide angle camera that's great for seeing things to the side of you, but that makes things tricky when directly parking, and the lack of cross-traffic RADAR is a thing that nobody can convince me is good. That rear RADAR is also used for blind-spot cars, too. As much as I recognize this car is designed to drive itself yaddy ya, it would not have been a big deal to have something in the mirrors (NOT on the screen where I don't want to be looking when changing lanes).

Anyway, rather than beat this thread to death, I'm done.

 

[Knightshade]

I'm going to bet that most people that disagree about the cross-traffic alert RADAR system being great have never owned a car with it. It's night and day better for reversing than what we have in the 3.

Which again is why just backing into spots removes the need for it.

In general I find the slow-speed interface in the Model 3 to be not great. In the front you can't tell how close you are to say - a parking curb, so you have to just sort of guess that you are close enough without running it over or scraping up the front bumper.

Oh look, another problem that ceases to exist if you back in instead

The on-screen warnings only tell you up to a FOOT in closeness to any wall etc in front or rear - which is not close enough for city driving when you're parking in tight spaces.

Not sure how that isn't enough when backing in.

If that is not enough that'd mean any car 1 foot longer than a Model 3 wouldn't even fit in the spot. What must those poor Model S owners do?

In the rear you have an extremely wide angle camera that's great for seeing things to the side of you, but that makes things tricky when directly parking

That simply hasn't been my experience when parking using the backup cam.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Oh look, another problem that ceases to exist if you back in instead

I'm basically completely in agreement with you about the limitations of the Model 3's sensors for various activities, and the benefits of backing in.

There is one key problem with backing in: no one expects you to do it. In crowded parking lots, that's a big problem. Everyone is up in your rear before you have a chance to get into reverse unless you drive around the parking lot like a maniac to create rear separation, which presents its own hazards. It's basically rude, when the parking lot is crowded enough that you have to worry about the benefits of backing in!


As far as the backup camera is concerned, I do wish it also had lines showing your car's current angle (or at least the options of having them). I'm getting used to it, but having the car's current angle on the screen as well as the predicted path would be helpful (for me) for making sure I end up perfectly straight in the spot, or straight when parked, etc. Most cars have this...my Highlander has it (in addition to the 360 view of course which is awesome and we will never have for obvious, previously-mentioned reasons), and it really does help.

 

[WilliamG]

Which again is why just backing into spots removes the need for it.




Oh look, another problem that ceases to exist if you back in instead




Not sure how that isn't enough when backing in.

If that is not enough that'd mean any car 1 foot longer than a Model 3 wouldn't even fit in the spot. What must those poor Model S owners do?




That simply hasn't been my experience when parking using the backup cam.

Why on earth would I back into the average space in a parking lot? How am I supposed to load my groceries? I mean, the frunk is pretty darn small. At the end of the day most people are not backing in. It pisses people off in crowded parking lots, and it means I can't load or unload my trunk.

 

[groovidad]

I'm basically completely in agreement with you about the limitations of the Model 3's sensors for various activities, and the benefits of backing in.

There is one key problem with backing in: no one expects you to do it. In crowded parking lots, that's a big problem. Everyone is up in your rear before you have a chance to get into reverse unless you drive around the parking lot like a maniac to create rear separation, which presents its own hazards. It's basically rude, when the parking lot is crowded enough that you have to worry about the benefits of backing in!


As far as the backup camera is concerned, I do wish it also had lines showing your car's current angle (or at least the options of having them). I'm getting used to it, but having the car's current angle on the screen as well as the predicted path would be helpful (for me) for making sure I end up perfectly straight in the spot, or straight when parked, etc. Most cars have this...my Highlander has it (in addition to the 360 view of course which is awesome and we will never have for obvious, previously-mentioned reasons), and it really does help.

Here, EVERYONE backs in! Took me several years to accept it. It can be frustrating to those inconvenienced!

 

[groovidad]

I'm going to bet that most people that disagree about the cross-traffic alert RADAR system being great have never owned a car with it. It's night and day better for reversing than what we have in the 3.

In general I find the slow-speed interface in the Model 3 to be not great. In the front you can't tell how close you are to say - a parking curb, so you have to just sort of guess that you are close enough without running it over or scraping up the front bumper. The on-screen warnings only tell you up to a FOOT in closeness to any wall etc in front or rear - which is not close enough for city driving when you're parking in tight spaces. In the rear you have an extremely wide angle camera that's great for seeing things to the side of you, but that makes things tricky when directly parking, and the lack of cross-traffic RADAR is a thing that nobody can convince me is good. That rear RADAR is also used for blind-spot cars, too. As much as I recognize this car is designed to drive itself yaddy ya, it would not have been a big deal to have something in the mirrors (NOT on the screen where I don't want to be looking when changing lanes).

Anyway, rather than beat this thread to death, I'm done.

No brother! On the contrary, these conversations are worthwhile in getting different perspectives from members! Thanks for your contributions!