Side Collision Avoidance

[bancroftc]

I was thinking about this feature on my drive into work this morning. It's one feature I have yet to experience with my Tesla (and yes, it is turned on in my car). I guess that's a good thing! Anyone had any experience with this safety feature? I'm particularly interested in how it works in a non-AP scenario...which I guess is what it's intended for.

Thanks

 

[Cosmacelf]

It doesn't happen very often, but here's a recent video of it working...

Tesla Model S Side Collision Warning and Avoidance - YouTube

 

[bancroftc]

Thanks for sharing. Looks like that was with AP engaged. Any idea if the car would behave the same way with AP off?

 

[mikeash]

I believe the system would do the same thing with AP off. My (quite possibly flawed) understanding of how the two systems interact is that AP lane keeping is going to keep you centered regardless, and then the side collision avoidance overrides it to move you out of the way. If you were driving manually (how weird that I can type those words seriously) then it would try to override you.

 

[bancroftc]

If you were driving manually (how weird that I can type those words seriously) then it would try to override you.

Too funny, too true! It's an amazing time we live in.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Fanatic]

I believe the system would do the same thing with AP off. My (quite possibly flawed) understanding of how the two systems interact is that AP lane keeping is going to keep you centered regardless, and then the side collision avoidance overrides it to move you out of the way. If you were driving manually (how weird that I can type those words seriously) then it would try to override you.

Wouldn't the car literary overdrive you?

 

[Discoducky]

Wouldn't the car literary overdrive you?

In that scenario, with AP-off, alert sound, alert UI and side collision avoidance would nudge the steering wheel away from the detected obstacle, but would NOT steer out of the lane of travel, nor would it be strong enough to overcome manual steering so that the driver could still maintain their directed force on the steering wheel.

 

[ecarfan]

It doesn't happen very often, but here's a recent video of it working...

So you are saying that you were not using AP and when that semi drifted towards you as you were passing the cab the Model S side collision avoidance activated and moved your steering wheel?
That semi needed AP. It was drifting around before you got next to the cab.

 

[MyJoule]

Indeed we experienced the auto side collision avoidance about a week ago- and no the Autosteer was not engaged at the time. We had entered a left hand turn lane and were moving past a string of cars on our right at about 20MPH when one of those cars suddenly started into the left hand turn lane as we passed them. Our car moved about 1 foot to the left ( stayed in lane) and I can't say for sure there was an alarm, We were both screaming at the driver that had imposed on our lane. While I think I also moved the car over, I'm sure the car moved itself over too. I am impressed with the features of our Autopilot equipped car.

 

[andyaycw]

The first day I drove my Model S to work was also the first and second time that I experienced the side collision avoidance. The first time, there was a car switching lanes into my 9 o'clock position and the side collision avoidance made a few beeps and steered my car to the right of my lane. The second time was pretty much the same, except from my 3 o'clock position as they were coming up from a freeway on-ramp.

Both times my MS saw the other cars before I even knew what was going on. AP was not enabled and I had my hands on the steering wheel. The car steered to the right/leftmost part of the lane to avoid the perceived threat, but nothing manual steering couldn't overcome (in fact, the first time the alarm went off and the car started steering to the right, I instinctively steered the car right back to the center with just a moderate amount of force...fortunately the car that was in my 9 o'clock position was in a hurry, apparently, and they passed me pretty quickly.)

 

[evsolarman]

I was driving my 70D (has autopilot) yesterday with my kids in the back. I had my right turn blinker on and was trying to merge right onto an exit lane which had a row of cars, none who were interested in yielding to me. I was traveling at about 30MPH. Suddenly a pick up truck came at very high speed from behind, on the lane to my left, and cut right in front of me and then into the exit lane. I think he must have thought I would have merged right and assumed the space ahead of me would be empty - but I had not changed lanes yet.. I thought for sure he is going to bump into my car on the left. I still have no idea how the car managed to avoid the truck. It sure did not feel like I had reacted fast enough - I think the car must have shifted automatically a bit to the right.. I found that it had also pulled in the left side mirror inwards to create more space. It all happened in a split second. Awesome car!

 

[ecarfan]

Your driver side mirror automatically retracted when that pickup passed close by on the left side? And the passenger side mirror did not retract?
The mirrors move relatively slowly, they take almost a full second. In that time a car moving alongside you would be past you.
The behavior you describe is quite surprising to me.

 

[darrenf]

Last night I was driving down an interstate that was deserted except for a street sweeper in the lane closest to the median. There were two empty lanes between us but as I approached, the Model S must have interpreted the dust cloud he was kicking up as a vehicle because the car sounded the collision alarm and shifted right in the lane. It took me a few seconds to figure out what had happened. I guess if I'm going to experience the encroachment avoidance system it's safest to do so on a deserted highway!

 

[musicious]

I was driving through a 1 lane side tollway for iPASS a little fast & since it was narrow I must have been more toward the left side because it actually steered me right a little as I went through even tho autopilot was not enabled!

 

[Andyw2100]

Your driver side mirror automatically retracted when that pickup passed close by on the left side? And the passenger side mirror did not retract?
The mirrors move relatively slowly, they take almost a full second. In that time a car moving alongside you would be past you.
The behavior you describe is quite surprising to me.

I'm with ecarfan. This sounds somewhat unlikely. Can you please confirm that this is what happened? If so, did driver's side mirror then unfold again on its own? If so, when? If not, did pressing the center button cause the driver's side mirror to unfold, or did it cause the passenger side mirror to fold?

Thanks!