Re:Autopilot not on during crash in PA, Musk says it would h...
by osteele on Thursday July 14, 2016 @07:10PM
(#12097877)
When the Tesla autopilot disengages because it doesn't detect your hands on the wheel, it takes a large number of seconds with increasingly obnoxious dashboard and audio warnings. It's hard to miss if you're paying any attention at all.
Is “contemporary cruise control” constant-speed, or traffic aware? Having driven tens of thousands of miles with each, I feel that the first increases the chance of an accident and the second decreases it (unless you let it lull you into ignoring the road). Tesla's cruise control has some blind spots (going around a curve into stopped traffic), but they're complementary to my own blind spots (the car in front suddenly decelerates; zoning out in stop-and-go traffic); my subjective impression is that the two of us together are much safer.
* Driver engaged the autopilot (assist)
* Driver did not have hands on the wheel long enough for the Tesla to disengage the autopilot.
* Driver may have instinctively reacted by applying acceleration to stay at speed, without further reacting.
* Vehicle crashed due to no steering control; auto-pilot not engaged and driver reckless for not being in control and situational awareness of the vehicle.
If I needed to get a new vehicle today (and there wasn't a waiting list) I think I'd probably get a Tesla; however I don't think I'd use the automation as I agree with the Google Self Driving Car stance on this form of technology. For that same reason I don't even like contemporary cruse control.