# how "smart" is the model 3



## StarModel3 (Dec 27, 2018)

I have had my model 3 for a few weeks now and have seen videos of how the car can drive autonomously (we don't get that yet), but how proactive is the car as it stands today?

*For example *
If I am driving without autopilot (surface streets) and I try changing lanes will the car let me change lanes and hit another car?

If a kid or animal jumps out in front of the car will it stop automatically?

If I am on the freeway and there is an obstacle in my lane will the car go around it? (with or without autopilot on)

If someone is about to rear end me will the car move forward or into another lane to avoid it?

Looking forward to learning more about how this amazing vehicle is changing future of driving....


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

StarModel3 said:


> If I am driving without autopilot (surface streets) and I try changing lanes will the car let me change lanes and hit another car?


Yes, it will. But supposedly it would protest loudly with the 2-tone STOP warning before you actually hit it.



StarModel3 said:


> If a kid or animal jumps out in front of the car will it stop automatically?


Maybe. I believe there is automatic emergency braking, however it's primarily designed to reduce damage in a collision rather than stop for you. You probably will get an alert, though.



StarModel3 said:


> If I am on the freeway and there is an obstacle in my lane will the car go around it? (with or without autopilot on)


No. See the answer above. Also, I believe one of the faults of AP is it really, really, really doesn't like to change lanes in an emergency. I think most of the times it collided with a wall, or a parked fire truck were caused by it handing the emergency over to automatic emergency braking instead of trying to navigate around it.



StarModel3 said:


> If someone is about to rear end me will the car move forward or into another lane to avoid it?


See the answer above again. You might get an alert chime, I'm not entirely certain it detects potential collisions from the rear while you're in Drive.


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## Nom (Oct 30, 2018)

I've had my model 3 (no EAP) provide warning beeps as I'm close to cars at stop lights or garages. All real up close and in slow moving situations. Kinda annoying usually as I'm in full control and am aware of all spacing.

However, today was new. Sudden stop well ahead of me while traveling about 35 mph. Car definitely beep alerted me to the sudden stopped car which was at least two car lengths ahead (I think). I noticed right about the same time and applied braking. Did not sense that the car did breaking for me. Didn't want to test whether it would have! 

Sounds like folks are saying it would have auto-braked to some degree. True?


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## Bokonon (Apr 13, 2017)

Nom said:


> I've had my model 3 (no EAP) provide warning beeps as I'm close to cars at stop lights or garages. All real up close and in slow moving situations. Kinda annoying usually as I'm in full control and am aware of all spacing.


If you go into your Autopilot settings, you can change the sensitivity of the forward collision warning. The default is "Medium" and you can also change it to "Early" (more sensitive), "Late" (less sensitive), or "Off" (disabled).



> However, today was new. Sudden stop well ahead of me while traveling about 35 mph. Car definitely beep alerted me to the sudden stopped car which was at least two car lengths ahead (I think). I noticed right about the same time and applied braking. Did not sense that the car did breaking for me. Didn't want to test whether it would have!


This has happened to me as well. Autopilot can "bounce" the radar under the car in front of you to see another car ahead, which can trigger "next-car-ahead" collision warnings like this.

Here's a particularly infamous dashcam video of a Model X that detected a sudden stop two vehicles away, saving its owner from the same fate as the car ahead of it:


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/813806622023761920


> Sounds like folks are saying it would have auto-braked to some degree. True?


If the car had determined that a collision was likely, then yes, it would have auto-braked to mitigate the speed of impact (but not necessarily avoid it).


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## Feathermerchant (Sep 17, 2018)

The only emergency braking I have seen, the car went all the way to ABS. I had my foot on the pedal and it was a little surprising to have the pedal move further down.

I have had the alert klaxon go off a few times. Sometimes in error while driving down a curving street with cars parked at the curb.


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## Dr. J (Sep 1, 2017)

StarModel3 said:


> I have had my model 3 for a few weeks now and have seen videos of how the car can drive autonomously (we don't get that yet), but how proactive is the car as it stands today?
> 
> *For example *
> If I am driving without autopilot (surface streets) and I try changing lanes will the car let me change lanes and hit another car?
> ...


You should not be relying on your car to do any of these things. You drive the car. Read the owner's manual for detailed information.


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## StarModel3 (Dec 27, 2018)

Dr. J said:


> You should not be relying on your car to do any of these things. You drive the car. Read the owner's manual for detailed information.


Nobody is relying on a car doing this. I have not had a car accident in over 30 years and not going to change my driving style. I have 3 kids that will be driving in the next few years and the more the car can do to keep them safe the better. I just want to have a better understanding of what the car would do in an emergency or driver error.


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## Dr. J (Sep 1, 2017)

StarModel3 said:


> Nobody is relying on a car doing this. I have not had a car accident in over 30 years and not going to change my driving style. I have 3 kids that will be driving in the next few years and the more the car can do to keep them safe the better. I just want to have a better understanding of what the car would do in an emergency or driver error.


Generally, it will warn you and try to avoid things if it can, but I'm not relying on it to do so.


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## Bibs (Jun 9, 2018)

Just to clarify the language... the car does not drive autonomously.

The car will aid the driver with adaptive cruise control (TACC), lane keeping (AP), and lane changes (AP on restricted access highways).

Bear in mind that automated emergency braking works differently when another car suddenly slows in front of you versus a stationary object. If I'm driving 55 behind someone else, and they suddenly slow (either they brake quickly or hit another car), my automated braking is highly likely to slow me down quickly, too. There is a point (ex: I'm driving 55 and a static object is in the way) at which automated braking will do nothing.


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## Ed Woodrick (May 26, 2018)

I have had my model 3 for a few weeks now and have seen videos of how the car can drive autonomously (we don't get that yet), but how proactive is the car as it stands today?

*For example *
If I am driving without autopilot (surface streets) and I try changing lanes will the car let me change lanes and hit another car?
It should not. Test it. Ask for lane change with car next to you. 
BUT, you are in control, even if it does hit a car, it is YOUR fault. It is BETA software

If a kid or animal jumps out in front of the car will it stop automatically?
It depends. I believe that this is a speed dependent thing. At 80, definitely not. At 20, I believe that it will.
BUT, you are in control, even if it does hit a car, it is YOUR fault. It is BETA software

If I am on the freeway and there is an obstacle in my lane will the car go around it? (with or without autopilot on)
It will not dodge potholes. It will not dodge debris. Will it stop if a car is stopped, it should. Will go around it, I don't believe so. If someone in an adjacent car moves toward you, will it swerve, if possible, yes.
BUT, you are in control, even if it does hit a car, it is YOUR fault. It is BETA software

If someone is about to rear end me will the car move forward or into another lane to avoid it?
Nope. Last thing that you would want is for it to move into another lane. Because you would have just blocked the other car from doing the same thing to miss you.
BUT, you are in control, even if it does hit a car, it is YOUR fault. It is BETA software

Is it a self-driving car NO


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## Nom (Oct 30, 2018)

@Bokonon - wow. Cool video.

That said, was a bit saddened by how long it took anyone to get out of their car to help people. Including driver of car doing the filming.


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## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

Bibs said:


> J
> Bear in mind that automated emergency braking works differently when another car suddenly slows in front of you versus a stationary object. If I'm driving 55 behind someone else, and they suddenly slow (either they brake quickly or hit another car), my automated braking is highly likely to slow me down quickly, too. There is a point (ex: I'm driving 55 and a static object is in the way) at which automated braking will do nothing.


I've seen our Model 3 do threshold braking when a car pulled right out in front of us from behind a big box truck. We would have collided had either the car or me not hit the brakes. I saw the car start to pull out because I could see its wheels under the big box truck that was blocking the other driver's view but decided to wait to see if it would react in time. It reacted about 1/2 second before I needed to slam on the brakes. But the AP was engaged, I'm not sure whether the automatic emergency braking would have activated or not if I was driving manually.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

StarModel3 said:


> I have had my model 3 for a few weeks now and have seen videos of how the car can drive autonomously...


Others have stated this, but I just want to emphasize: Autopilot is just fancy cruise control. It does not allow the car to drive itself. It won't stop for stop signs or traffic lights. It won't stop for stationary objects (which includes trucks that are already stopped at an intersection in front of you). I just want to make sure that everybody sets their expectations accordingly. There are a lot of misleading articles being written about Autopilot.


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## SR22pilot (Aug 16, 2018)

The car can have trouble distinguishing stopped objects from the road. In particular, if a car changes lanes and uncovers a stopped vehicle, the Tesla probably won't recognize the stopped vehicle. This is due to the Doppler shift of the road and the stopped vehicle being the same. The radar unit can't tell if it is a stopped vehicle or if the road is rising up i.e. if there is a hill. A vehicle you are following which slows down and then stops seems to be handled properly.


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## JML (Jul 26, 2018)

garsh said:


> Others have stated this, but I just want to emphasize: Autopilot is just fancy cruise control. It does not allow the car to drive itself. It won't stop for stop signs or traffic lights. It won't stop for stationary objects (which includes trucks that are already stopped at an intersection in front of you). I just want to make sure that everybody sets their expectations accordingly. There are a lot of misleading articles being written about Autopilot.





SR22pilot said:


> The car can have trouble distinguishing stopped objects from the road. In particular, if a car changes lanes and uncovers a stopped vehicle, the Tesla probably won't recognize the stopped vehicle. This is due to the Doppler shift of the road and the stopped vehicle being the same. The radar unit can't tell if it is a stopped vehicle or if the road is rising up i.e. if there is a hill. A vehicle you are following which slows down and then stops seems to be handled properly.


For me, the cruise control and autopilot have always acted correctly when coming up on stopped cars. Including cresting a hill or around a curve where the cars in front are already stopped the first time my car sees them. I know there have been cases where Teslas have hit stopped cars, so clearly there are problems. I stay aware of the cars on the screen, to make sure my car sees the cars ahead of me. The problems I have are rather with the car suddenly braking when going under bridges. I'd always thought that was due to shadows on the road, but maybe it is the radar bouncing up?

As for getting rear ended, I don't think the Tesla will do anything. I've had people tailgate me very closely, and my car doesn't care (come on lady, I'd go faster if I could, but have you noticed we're on a jammed highway, and are lucky the traffic is moving as fast as it is?). It must be looking at something though, because once somebody was behind me in some type of van with a big windshield, and the picture on the screen was of a pedestrian, not a vehicle.


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## Feathermerchant (Sep 17, 2018)

I was backed into a parking spot with a skinny tree behind me and the car showed a person.


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## iChris93 (Feb 3, 2017)

JML said:


> The problems I have are rather with the car suddenly braking when going under bridges.


I have not noticed phantom braking as frequently now. But I just realized it could be because it is winter and there is hardly enough sun for shadows haha.


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## Bibs (Jun 9, 2018)

JML said:


> The problems I have are rather with the car suddenly braking when going under bridges.


This is caused by radar reflection off of the overpass girders or the big signs they hang on them.

When it comes to cruise control and stationary objects, I have seen mixed results when traveling at high speeds. I consider any reaction to them to be a bonus. Adaptive cruise control (from any manufacturer) is not intended to manage this across all speed regimes; unfortunately, many car makers (including Tesla) don't do a good job of explaining that ACC at slow speeds does not act identically to ACC at high speeds.


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## Bokonon (Apr 13, 2017)

Feathermerchant said:


> I was backed into a parking spot with a skinny tree behind me and the car showed a person.


I had something similar happen once. Car was parked in my driveway, all by itself. I got in, powered it on, and the autopilot display showed a person standing right behind the car, motionless. I turned around to make sure it wasn't my neighbor emptying the trash, but no one was there. CREEPY.

Maybe the Model 3 sees dead people?


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## Magnets! (Jan 10, 2019)

It's an amazing car and I love it, but I don't think it will do any of the things that you are asking.


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## SR22pilot (Aug 16, 2018)

JML said:


> For me, the cruise control and autopilot have always acted correctly when coming up on stopped cars. Including cresting a hill or around a curve where the cars in front are already stopped the first time my car sees them. I know there have been cases where Teslas have hit stopped cars, so clearly there are problems. I stay aware of the cars on the screen, to make sure my car sees the cars ahead of me. The problems I have are rather with the car suddenly braking when going under bridges. I'd always thought that was due to shadows on the road, but maybe it is the radar bouncing up?
> 
> As for getting rear ended, I don't think the Tesla will do anything. I've had people tailgate me very closely, and my car doesn't care (come on lady, I'd go faster if I could, but have you noticed we're on a jammed highway, and are lucky the traffic is moving as fast as it is?). It must be looking at something though, because once somebody was behind me in some type of van with a big windshield, and the picture on the screen was of a pedestrian, not a vehicle.


The issue with not seeing stopped cars seems to be when they are uncovered by a moving car. An example would be car1 stopped at a traffic light. You are following car2. Rather than slow down, car2 moves right into a turn lane and continues. The lady who hit the fir truck was behind a car which saw the truck and changed lanes.


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