Base auto-pilot works in stop and go traffic, understands stop lights and stop signs (stops for red), as well as highway speeds. It works through construction sites with orange cone lane changes over ignored white lines. For 90% of driving, you're not going to notice the difference. If you care about the other 5-9% and the added safety improvements of a system that actually understands the road, other vehicles, construction and not just the lane lines you should definitely consider a Tesla.
With their upgraded auto-pilot the car detects and automatically passes other drivers, takes exits, can completely handle complex interchanges by itself changing lanes to find exits while getting in the correct lane, slows while passing, gives trucks extra space on the highway, can handle complex construction zones without leaving it's often confusing lane, automatically exits the passing lane when not passing, etc.
Just the precision with which it can change lanes in dense traffic is so relieving. I hate changing lanes without it. I now spend my time keeping a close eye on idiot drivers while the car manages the lane change minutia - don't hit the car up front, make sure I have space, make sure no one is passing on the right, make sure no one is cutting off the space im trying to use from the 2nd from the right, look forward, look back, look forward again to check traffic, look back - never again.
I inherently trust the Tesla to drive better than me most of the time. I inherently trust the Tesla to drive better than 98% of other drivers.
Yeah, you are pointing out many of the notable edge cases when things went south. To be fair, Tesla autopilot is not technically ’self driving’, and Elon still refuses to call it that. The driver is still expected to be alert and monitor the system, keeping you hands near the wheel and touching it every few seconds.
So, accidents like you describe are not to be unexpected. People get complacent and think it really is a self driving car when it’s not. But let’s not discount the amazing level of sophistication Tesla has achieved in this system. It’s really impressive, and head and shoulders above anything else available.
That being said, I would wager that the high profile accidents you mention were due to drivers being negligent and abusing the system, where they should have been alert and paying attention like we all do when we drive.
Sorry if I was rude :) As you said you have driven your brother’s Tesla. That’s impressive that the Honda tech has gotten that good. I’ve driven many cars with lane assist and some are better than others.
You mentioned ‘bouncing off the lane edges’, and the reality is this is still where most companies are at. Which is fine because that’s all it’s supposed to be. It’s designed to be an assist when you mess up. Just a gentle nudge back to where you’re supposed to be.
I’m glad this stuff is becoming standard though it’s great tech. My point though is they are not meant to be ‘self diving’ is meant to be a safety ‘assist’.
Honestly, Elon still refuses to call it ‘self driving’ because the driver is still expected to be alert and monitor the autopilot. But the level of sophistication autopilot has is so far ahead of anything else, my point was it doesn’t make sense to compare them.
Pretty soon they will finish beta testing, and you will download an update, and the Tesla will be able to navigate complex traffic situations including cities and traffic signals.
To be fair, I saw something where Honda is supposedly developing a competitor to Tesla autopilot, but the current tech is not that. And the Honda autopilot will only be offered in Japan in a very limited quantity of some exotic $100K+ model. Who knows when those efforts will trickle down to be regular production vehicles available in America. But it’s available today in a Tesla. It’s really impressive what they have achieved!
With their upgraded auto-pilot the car detects and automatically passes other drivers, takes exits, can completely handle complex interchanges by itself changing lanes to find exits while getting in the correct lane, slows while passing, gives trucks extra space on the highway, can handle complex construction zones without leaving it's often confusing lane, automatically exits the passing lane when not passing, etc.
Just the precision with which it can change lanes in dense traffic is so relieving. I hate changing lanes without it. I now spend my time keeping a close eye on idiot drivers while the car manages the lane change minutia - don't hit the car up front, make sure I have space, make sure no one is passing on the right, make sure no one is cutting off the space im trying to use from the 2nd from the right, look forward, look back, look forward again to check traffic, look back - never again.
I inherently trust the Tesla to drive better than me most of the time. I inherently trust the Tesla to drive better than 98% of other drivers.