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V9 Blind Spot Monitoring Almost Complete Fail

Discussion in 'Model 3: User Interface' started by TM3_Jack, Oct 13, 2018.

  1. TM3_Jack

    TM3_Jack Member

    Joined:
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    Hi guys,

    I'm on V9 wanted to get a poll for everyone else on what they think of the blind spot monitoring. I think its almost a complete failure on a Model 3. My reason and logic below.

    1) You have to take your eyes off the road/side view mirror to look at your screen.
    2) The system only works if the car can clearly see define lanes. On my Lexus it's always monitoring my blind spot regardless if the car is moving.

    I think for once... Tesla might have made this too complicated. If they just put a blinky light on the side view mirror to indicated something in your blind spot they could have work on some other enhancing such as reversing collusion warning/stopping or enhancing summon (ie. driving up driveway ramps)

    Let me know your thoughts... Love my Car just calling it how it is.
     
    • Like x 5
  2. Gavyne

    Gavyne Member

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    All they need is to add an audible chime when you turn on the blinker and there's something detected. It's an easy thing to solve with software.

    I think I understand their idea, I just don't think they have finished implementing it. You have to take your eyes off the road to glance at the side mirror one way or another, it is much further to the side than the display which your peripheral vision can see. Their implementation is fine I think, they just need to add an audible sound.
     
    • Like x 2
  3. diamond.g

    diamond.g Active Member

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    It would be more helpful if they turned the lane markings red if there was a vehicle there the whole time, but just when you use your signal.
     
    • Like x 4
  4. insaneoctane

    insaneoctane Active Member

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    Disclaimer: NONE of my vehicles have the LED in the side mirror....
    It seems to me that having that light ALWAYS turning on and off might be distracting/annoying. Same would be said if the lane markers always lit red every time a car was in your blind spot. I drive in LA, so in traffic, there is ALWAYS someone in my blind spot, if not, wait 10 seconds.... I follow the logic that says to only warn the driver if they signal. That's finally dealing with intent to move and the blind spot data is now very important. I would, however, like either a steering wheel rumble, or audible chime in addition to the red lane markers.
     
    • Like x 3
  5. Uncle Paul

    Uncle Paul Well-Known Member

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    For me, the images on the screen have not yet been sufficient for me to use them as a driving aid, however it does tell me just how capable the self driving system has become. It is comforting to know just how many different directions it can look at the same time.

    Seems as though it is becoming self aware.
     
  6. ftlum

    ftlum Member

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    I would pay to have the common light retrofitted on my side mirrors. For my model 3, you have to turn your head unnaturally towards the touchscreen to see the blind spot picture. Half the time, you’ll be having to look completely in the opposite direction.

    Even if you add an audio or vibration alert (that’s the bare minimum that should be done), it’d only be useful as a last second ‘look out!’ warning when the car detects you turning the wheel, otherwise the alerts would be too annoying. A mirror light can be kept on long enough for you to prevent turning into the blocked lane in the first place.
     
  7. LargeHamCollider

    LargeHamCollider Battery cells != scalable

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    I don't have any issues with it, takes a tenth of a second to glance at the screen. I agree that a light in the mirror would be superior but the current solution is adequate imo.
     
    • Like x 3
  8. LM-5

    LM-5 Member

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    • Like x 4
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  9. ksb467

    ksb467 Member

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    Worked for me tonight, and made all kinds of noise too which I hadn’t expected. Think I was taking it out of autopilot at the time by starting to turn the wheel to move manually to the right lane.
     
  10. cwerdna

    cwerdna Active Member

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    FWIW, I test drove an '18 Leaf (before it went on sale in the US) last year with blind spot warning and it had the orange light in the mirrors.

    briefly describes their system.

    I'm sure other vehicles had something like this well before '18 Leaf.

    I didn't have a chance to test what the warning the video points out: if you signal while there's vehicle in the blind spot, the car chimes twice and the orange light on the mirror and a light in the dash flash.
     
  11. SpudLime

    SpudLime Active Member

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    You mean like looking over your shoulder?

    Or looking at your properly adjusted side mirrors?
     
    • Like x 1
  12. North75

    North75 Member

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    I just got V9 (39.7) yesterday and took a 100 mile road trip. I thought the updated display which now shows cars on the sides of you was great for determining if someone is in your blindspots. It seemed perfectly accurate to me. I like it better than the side pillar indicators in our Acura MDX. Overall I think its a great update to the functionality. Definitely wouldn't consider it a fail.

    I tried intentionally using the turn signals when a car was in my blindspot a few times. The red line indicator worked, but I thought it was kind of slow to update the display.

    The only other thing I noticed was that I wish the system could display cars that are rapidly overtaking earlier somehow. The display doesn't really show the cars until they are a couple of car lengths away. It's good for cars slowly overtaking but they appear suddenly for cars flying by.

    Guess I will continue using my side and rear view mirrors as always.
     
    • Informative x 1
    • Like x 1
  13. insaneoctane

    insaneoctane Active Member

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    I think rapidly approaching vehicles are now the most difficult risk to know about now. The new display is helpful for most other risks. I also hate when me and another car try to change lanes at the same time into the same lane. Don't know if the system would warn of this
     
  14. great magic

    great magic New Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Redondo Beach CA
    Hello all.
    I am still saving up $ for my Tesla.
    I want to write a check rather than sign up for a car payment.
    Only rented a model 3 so far using the Turo app.
    My admonishment to all of us: let’s remember to use these convenient features IN ADDITION to our good driving habits, including checking all mirrors AND looking over your shoulder before making a lane chage.
     
    • Like x 2
  15. cwerdna

    cwerdna Active Member

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    You should tell that to CuriousG. It seems pretty clear he doesn't look over his shoulder before changing lanes given his responses to me here:
    Two days with Model 3 impressions/review- This is not a mini model S
    Turn signal “discussion”

    From what I can gather, for him, changing lanes is holding down the signal lever part way then nudging the wheel. :eek:
     
  16. djgarrett21

    djgarrett21 Member

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    I don't find it unnatural to check the screen before making a lane change. Everything is on that screen so I've become accustomed to it.

    I do like some of the ideas to enhance blind spot awareness - audible chime, red lain markings.
     
    • Like x 1
  17. S4WRXTTCS

    S4WRXTTCS Well-Known Member

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    I definitely agree that Tesla should have implemented the blind spot monitoring indicator in the mirrors where they belong, and they should have used rear radar in addition to the camera (to improve the system).

    But, in terms of what we have now? I think it will be pretty good with showing a red line anytime you shouldn't change lanes which lots of users have suggested. That way you'll know before you even start the lane change that it's likely blocked, and you'll be looking to determine what's blocking.

    I hope they also improve it with optional audio beeping if you do turn it on the blinkers when someone is there, and where it even has the steering wheel vibrate a bit (like LDW) if you start the lane change when a vehicle is in the way.

    To me the system seems to be setup to really alleviate a person from having to change lanes themselves. A good example of this is you can't even turn off the AP lane changes anymore like you could prior to V9.

    So if you're on AP you're really only telling it to change lanes. Which is a nice setup of the human checking, and the robot confirming and executing.

    I was testing it out the other day, and I swear I looked like an idiot at times because I was fighting with it.

    The first issue was that it's overly cautious with auto lane changes, and the second issue is it slows down more than I would to do a lane change behind someone. Normally I'll slow down as I'm changing lanes, and it wants to slow down BEFORE changing lanes.

    The other issue I had was I'm still getting used to the turn signals. My muscle memory is tuned for turn signals with a mechanical switch between temporary/full-on, but the model 3 doesn't have it. They took it away because they wanted the car to be able to always turn off the turn signal. It turns off the turn signal when you allow AP to do the lane change.

    Maybe we should just consider ourselves lucky that we still have mirrors.
     
  18. S4WRXTTCS

    S4WRXTTCS Well-Known Member

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    I do wonder if there is a way to get that info off the CAN bus (or elsewhere), and onto a HUD. Having that section of the screen on the windshield or on dash with a small display would be pretty cool.
     
  19. mknox

    mknox Well-Known Member

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    Our second car, a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV does this... plus it has the lights in the mirrors where they belong. In a lot of ways, the Outlander exceeds my Model X in things like this, cross path detection, Apple Car Play etc. etc.
     
  20. Gavyne

    Gavyne Member

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    People that have driven cars with blind spot indicator on the mirrors will tell you it's always lit. Unless you live in middle of nowhere, there are almost always cars near your blindspot where it would trigger the indicator. Because it's always lit it becomes less useful, and over time people start to ignore it. Tesla drivers already get annoyed by the nags to apply pressure on the steering wheel, not sure how people will receive an indicator light that's almost always on. Does not quite suit Tesla's design philosophy.

    I really do think an audible chime is good enough, no need for the lights that people eventually ignore. And I think everything Tesla is doing, they're sort of building up to self-driving/autopilot.
     
    • Informative x 1

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