Speed Assist

[Richard Dawkins]

I read of a feature introduced in 2014 called Speed Assist, which warns Model S drivers when they exceed the speed limit, detected either by a camera looking at speed limit signs, or by GPS plus knowledge of where there are speed limits.

As far as I can tell, my Model S doesn't have this facility, not even the GPS-only version. Since the GPS-only version presumably depends on software, why can't every Model S have this option?

Richard Dawkins

 

[DriveMe]

Do you see the speed limit displayed on the instrument cluster?
In my case, it is shown right in the middle. And if I exceed the speed limit by five miles or more the speed sign becomes a little bigger. That’s the only warning I get.

 

[john pane]

You can also make it chime, if you want it to. From p.88 of manual:

Controlling Speed Assist
To turn Speed Assist on or off, and control
how it works, touch Controls > Settings >
Driver Assistance > Speed Limit Warning, then
choose one of these options:
• Off. Speed limit warnings do not display
on the instrument panel.
• Display. Speed limit signs display on the
instrument panel and when you exceed
the limit, the sign gets larger.
• Chime. In addition to the visual display,
you'll hear a chime whenever you exceed
the speed limit.

Thanks for your awesome books.

 

[Richard Dawkins]

You can also make it chime, if you want it to. From p.88 of manual:

Controlling Speed Assist
To turn Speed Assist on or off, and control
how it works, touch Controls > Settings >
Driver Assistance > Speed Limit Warning, then
choose one of these options:
• Off. Speed limit warnings do not display
on the instrument panel.
• Display. Speed limit signs display on the
instrument panel and when you exceed
the limit, the sign gets larger.
• Chime. In addition to the visual display,
you'll hear a chime whenever you exceed
the speed limit.

Thanks for your awesome books.

Yes, thank you, you have described exactly the facility I wish I had. The point I was making is that when I go to Contols>Settings> there is no mention of Driver Assistance>Speed Limit Warning. It looks as though my Model S DOESN'T HAVE this useful facility, and I want to know why. And I want to know how to get it.

 

[Swift]

What year/model do you have and what version of software are you running? Could also be a country configuration/limitation. Might be useful to get feedback from other UK owners.

 

[Richard Dawkins]

June 2014. British (right hand steering wheel)
I always install software updates the day they arrive. Current version is 8.1(2017.42 a88c8d5)

Please, do other UK owners of Model S, perhaps bought more recently have the same absence of the Speed Assist facility?

I understand why I don't have automatic steering: my car is not fitted with the necessary sensors. But I'd have thought the speed limit warning would need only GPS knowledge of where the speed limits are.

 

[mblakele]

My copy of the manual says that Speed Assist is only available with AutoPilot hardware, on page 88.

I see your point about GPS, but apparently Tesla decided to limit Speed Assist to vehicles with AP HW1 or HW2. I'm not privy to their reasoning. Maybe they felt that the GPS alone wouldn't be accurate enough — the current state of software for HW2 notwithstanding. Or it may have been more of a sales and marketing decision than a technical one.

There's some prior discussion at Speed assist for older model S?

 

[RiverBrick]

It is perplexing and a bit disappointing, but despite having offering many advanced features, the Model S lacks several basic and useful functions.

Besides the speed assist for pre-AP vehicles, one can also mention no activation via the app of defrosting, or heating of seats.

 

[Asterix187]

I have an Aug 17 uk spec car with HW 2.5 and autopilot and I have the speed assist options.

 

[RiverBrick]

Though Tesla could offer this feature for non-AP cars, they probably never will. The best solution is likely a 3rd-part app like waze which offers the possibility of audio and visual warnings when you exceed the speed limit.

 

[gsteele]

On the AP1 cars, the camera is clearly reading the speed limit signs and using a machine learning algorithm to recognize them. Unfortunately it doesn't recognize the separate little sign above some of them that says 'Truck'. So sometimes the car thinks the speed limit is the truck speed limit. This happens on CA17 between Santa Cruz and San Jose, CA.

 

[ricebucket]

The relative speed assist warning as it is is not useful at all. The slight enlargement is barely noticeable. Not sure why they won't switch to a more prominent notification. (Which, btw, they do use in case of an absolute speed assist warning.)

 

[hacer]

June 2014. British (right hand steering wheel)
I always install software updates the day they arrive. Current version is 8.1(2017.42 a88c8d5)

Please, do other UK owners of Model S, perhaps bought more recently have the same absence of the Speed Assist facility?

I understand why I don't have automatic steering: my car is not fitted with the necessary sensors. But I'd have thought the speed limit warning would need only GPS knowledge of where the speed limits are.

AP1 Teslas don't use GPS/Mapping to determine speed limits. Only the camera is used for speed limit sign recognition. There would be obvious limitations to using a mapping approach.

 

[BerTX]

AP1 Teslas don't use GPS/Mapping to determine speed limits. Only the camera is used for speed limit sign recognition. There would be obvious limitations to using a mapping approach.

This is not what I have experienced. Many times I have turned onto a road where I have not passed a speed limit sign and the car displays the correct speed limit.

 

[hacer]

This is not what I have experienced. Many times I have turned onto a road where I have not passed a speed limit sign and the car displays the correct speed limit.

I have observed my car using the speed limit last seen on a previous sign after making a turn sometimes, and other times blanking the speed limit after a turn. I don't recall ever seeing the speed limit display change in the absence of a sign, but I admit that I can't be certain it's never happened. Most of the roads I travel on have good signage so it's been a rare opportunity where I could observe the behavior you describe. So maybe I've just missed noticing it. But there have definitely been several times I've looked for the speed limit on my dash because I was on an unfamiliar road and hadn't seen any sign and found the display blank. I've also had the case where I looked down and my dash had the number for me - I've been assuming that it was me missing the signs that the car saw in those cases, but maybe not. However, if it uses GPS/maps in the absence of signage, then why would it be blank often and why would it not work at all with older models?

I have also observed it making mistakes with sign recognition (e.g. speed limit ahead (or in construction zone that is well ahead) translated to speed limit right here even though the transition is actually a long way ahead; also misreading the number (but very rarely)). The car is usually extremely accurate in changing the speed limit displayed exactly as you cross the sign post (when the camera clearly can no longer see it). The latter behavior is amusing given the inability to understand the "ahead" signs.

 

[BerTX]

I have observed my car using the speed limit last seen on a previous sign after making a turn sometimes, and other times blanking the speed limit after a turn. I don't recall ever seeing the speed limit display change in the absence of a sign, but I admit that I can't be certain it's never happened. Most of the roads I travel on have good signage so it's been a rare opportunity where I could observe the behavior you describe. So maybe I've just missed noticing it. But there have definitely been several times I've looked for the speed limit on my dash because I was on an unfamiliar road and hadn't seen any sign and found the display blank. I've also had the case where I looked down and my dash had the number for me - I've been assuming that it was me missing the signs that the car saw in those cases, but maybe not. However, if it uses GPS/maps in the absence of signage, then why would it be blank often and why would it not work at all with older models?

I have also observed it making mistakes with sign recognition (e.g. speed limit ahead (or in construction zone that is well ahead) translated to speed limit right here even though the transition is actually a long way ahead; also misreading the number (but very rarely)). The car is usually extremely accurate in changing the speed limit displayed exactly as you cross the sign post (when the camera clearly can no longer see it). The latter behavior is amusing given the inability to understand the "ahead" signs.

It perhaps does not indicate the correct speed limit always, but since you mentioned it, I watched for it today. Turned off of a road with a 60 mph limit and sign on dash showing 60, turned a corner onto another highway that has a 65 mph limit -- sign on dash went away, then came up to show 65. There is a bridge on the new road, and there is no speed limit sign until after the bridge, another tenth of a mile down the road and not visible from the turn.

There may be holes in the database, but it definitely uses one...

 

[Science fan]

I read of a feature introduced in 2014 called Speed Assist, which warns Model S drivers when they exceed the speed limit, detected either by a camera looking at speed limit signs, or by GPS plus knowledge of where there are speed limits.

As far as I can tell, my Model S doesn't have this facility, not even the GPS-only version. Since the GPS-only version presumably depends on software, why can't every Model S have this option?

Richard Dawkins

Richard, I believe that some dashcams and portable GPS devices are capable of providing an auditory warning if you are speeding. They are accurate, relying upon natural (I've read your books) scientific principles for their calculations. Not necessarily expensive to add, and a dash-cam with built in GPS could come in useful, should you become involved in a crash.

 

[Mike in CO]

My 2015 MS has the feature described above. My problem with the feature is that there isn't a quick way to disable it without digging through the menus. It works great when driving around town on low speed roads. But on highways around here (where traffic tends to travel well above the posted limit), it can be annoying. It would be great to be able to tap a popup or do something else to temporarily disable it for the remainder of that drive, but then have it back on automatically on my next drive.