Tesla's Self-Driving Assist feature adds to the "Assertive" driving mode. The setup will follow other vehicles more closely, change lanes more frequently, not leave the overtaking lane, and perform slow driving.
This kind of driving behavior in humans is often discouraged by safety organizations. However, one auto safety expert said that sometimes, it is safer for automated systems to be more confident than to be overly cautious.
The three driving characteristics of "Chill", "Average" and "confident" first appeared in Tesla's October 2021 update. However, the update was quickly canceled due to other issues, but the driving profile feature has now been restored.
(Tesla autopilot site)
Tech writer david Zipper, a visiting scholar at Harvard's Kennedy School, tweeted a screenshot of the update, first reported by the Verge website.
According to the function description, in confidence mode, the autonomous driving behavior will become more aggressive, for example, the vehicle will have a smaller following distance and perform more frequent speeding lane changes. In addition, the vehicle does not exit the overtaking lane and may roll out stops.
In normal and cool mode, the behavior of autonomous driving has become more conservative.
But David warns that depending on how "confident" the system is, it must avoid aggressive driving. "The line between confidence and aggression is delicate, but there are definitely cases where automation adapts to some very basic rules and eventually stops in some way because it can't continue to progress." I don't think we're there yet. I don't think the technology is that complicated. ”
"Slow driving" is controversial
In many jurisdictions, it is illegal not to fully brake the car while parking and may result in a failed driving test. However, many drivers choose to crawl slowly or drive slowly ("creeping") when driving, but this is considered a dangerous technique. These seem to be part of Tesla's general model and confidence model. The description of the car "not overtaking" also seems to contradict regulations in some areas.
Tesla's so-called "fully autonomous driving" feature is currently only available in the U.S. as part of limited testing. But in the U.S., where people drive on the right while driving, there are several states (but not all) that it is illegal to leave the right lane unless overtaking. Similarly, in the UK, the Road Code states that drivers should always remain in the left lane unless overtaking and return to the left lane in a safe situation. It's unclear whether Tesla's system will take into account changes in state regulations regarding overtaking lanes, or the relationship between slow driving and stop signs.
The company has disbanded its media relations division and does not respond to questions from reporters. Tesla's so-called fully autonomous driving has been under intense scrutiny, and car accidents and accidents involving the technology have been widely reported in the media.
Despite its name, "self-driving technology," it's not really a self-driving technology, but rather a driving assistance feature similar to that of other automakers. In the five-level automation system, it is in the second level. Tesla owners must always maintain control of the vehicle, always be vigilant, and be ready to take over the vehicle at any time for safety.
Correspondent Asay