Tesla's "autodrive"

Something to be aware of:

I used to think that seedy neighborhoods and cities were dangerous to be riding in at night. Apparently, affluent ones may not be safer to cruise in either.

It's not just limited to Teslas. Any car with adaptive cruise control most likely won't see a motorcycle. We all need to be aware of our surroundings.

Auburn said:

It's not just limited to Teslas. Any car with adaptive cruise control most likely won't see a motorcycle. We all need to be aware of our surroundings.

Click to expand...

That's exactly what I was sitting here thinking. My 2018 Tundra has adaptive cruise control, and I don't know if it would slow for a motorcycle or not. It'll keep me safely behind a larger vehicle just fine, but if I were to come up on a motorcycle at night I just don't know. I do know that I'd have to be seriously asleep at the switch not to notice one in front of me on the highway until I run over it.

"I do know that I'd have to be seriously asleep at the switch not to notice one in front of me on the highway until I run over it."

Radar ACC should do better than cameras'; I have pedestrian alert on my Caddy and it recognizes walkers.

MotoMike said:

"I do know that I'd have to be seriously asleep at the switch not to notice one in front of me on the highway until I run over it."

Click to expand...

Funny you find that video, and it demonstrates why my Toyota is not like the Tesla. While it's true my adaptive cruise control is supposed to slow behind slower vehicles, like the Tesla, at least I still have to steer it to stay in my lane and continue looking ahead. I can't give total control to it.

Old Guy said:

but if I were to come up on a motorcycle at night I just don't know. I do know that I'd have to be seriously asleep at the switch not to notice one in front of me on the highway until I run over it.

Click to expand...

While I appreciate the advantages of the FJR's dual headlights and taillights, I have long suspected the spacing may lead to a misperception of distance on the road.

A number of years ago, I was rolling down a 90kph highway at 4am. I was doing about a 100 or so, a little over, but not so much as to normally attract undue attention and well within the range of my headlights. I noticed a car coming up fast from behind and then, as I approached an overpass, red flashing lights. It was March, the spring thaw was on and I didn't want to park on the soft shoulder, so I picked a spot near the end of the merging entrance lane and pulled over.

The cop blew by me, missing me by inches, then slammed on his brakes and came to a stop several hundred feet ahead. He threw it in reverse and started backing towards me, so I shut off the bike and waited.

50' or so away, he hopped out of his cruiser and walked the rest of the way. As I removed my helmet, he said: "Geez, I know you have good brakes but you don't have to prove it! I almost hit you!" He took my paperwork to the cruiser and returned it together with a ticket for "Fail to obey a legal sign" soon after, stating "You have to realize that you are just a tiny pinprick of red light and I can't tell where you are." with no apparent sense of irony whatsoever. I mean, if you can't tell where I am then how the heck can you judge my speed? (In Ontario, radar evidence can only be used to confirm an officer's observations).

I pled not guilty and asked for disclosure. His notes stated that while he could not get an accurate radar lock and was not able to pace me, he knew I was speeding because the bike "appeared suddenly". When he gave chase he "accelerated to 100 without apparently closing the gap" and had reached 140 before activating his lights, causing the motorcycle to pull over. (He neglected to mention almost hitting me on his way by <lol>).

I didn't get my day in court however. The prosecutor withdrew the charge as soon as the case was called.

Personally, I think he was sitting in his cruiser nearing the end of his shift, maybe nodding or perhaps finalizing some paperwork when a distant set of headlights suddenly became a passing motorcycle.

Must be going fast, since it was so far away a moment ago, right? And his eyes were only off the target briefly while he tried to figure out why the radar was reading so low before giving chase. With that mindset to start with, the closely spaced taillights he was chasing just had to be far ahead and receding fast.

I could see a computer making the same mistake.

torch said:

While I appreciate the advantages of the FJR's dual headlights and taillights, I have long suspected the spacing may lead to a misperception of distance on the road.
Personally, I think he was sitting in his cruiser nearing the end of his shift, maybe nodding or perhaps finalizing some paperwork when a distant set of headlights suddenly became a passing motorcycle…

Click to expand...

<snip>

torch said:

…must be going fast, since it was so far away a moment ago, right? And his eyes were only off the target briefly while he tried to figure out why the radar was reading so low before giving chase. With that mindset to start with, the closely spaced taillights he was chasing just had to be far ahead and receding fast.

I could see a computer making the same mistake.

Click to expand...

Torch

Back in 2010 a human made that very mistake, which resulted in my 50mph head on collision with a pickup truck making a left turn across my path.

I was on a two lane levee road, past midnight, running cruise control, and listening to the music from my iPad/Starcom to helmet system. I saw the truck’s headlights a ways away when we both rounded the bend onto this 3/4 mile stretch, and I switched to my headlights low beam accordingly. Thought nothing of him, until the very last moment when his headlights suddenly veered to the right, and my front wheel made contact with his licence plate. The last thing I could recall was recognising the truck’s grillwork (2000 Chevy Silverado), and being astonished at how quick this was happening.

I ended up on my back behind the truck with multiple compound breaks on my left fore arm, messed up left knee, and a chunk of windshield glass between my forehead and helmet. My bike had taken out his right headlight, and damaged the whole right side of his truck.

In the accident report, the driver stated that he was on his way home from work, saw some distant headlights, started his left turn, and WHAM! Where did this motorcycle come from?

Our twin headlights can be easily mistaken for a distant car; the same for our siamese tail lights. I’m sure my incident wasn’t the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last. This is an excellent argument for adding additional lighting to both ends of our bikes; and making it stand out as something different – other than a car in the distance.

One of the arguments that Clearwater Lights makes for their LED systems is by adding low fork mounted lights, and high, widely spaced driving lights, it creates an unusual visually inverted triangle of light that stands out and commands a driver’s attention. By swerving a little bit, this light pattern also adds an oscillating movement to help the driver of the oncoming vehicle discern just how quickly you are closing in. Amber lights down low on the forks help even more. And while you’re at it, add some substantial auxiliary lighting to the rear of the bike as well.

Nothing like being conspicuous at night time, or any time when on two wheels.

Brodie

I see a Tesla,... I watch them carefully and giv'em a little extra space. Hands down the biggest dickheads on the road.