# Tesla software: Not ready for prime time **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 9, 2023, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803 "2023-05-09T14:48:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/21 "2023-05-11T15:18:17Z")
Also, to add, there is some really weird interactions between the cruise control speed setting and the perceived speed limits. Sometimes it’ll maintain the cruise control speed, despite the speed limit, and sometimes it’ll change the set speed. I usually set to 5 mph over the speed limit. The car will spontaneously lower the setting, but then raise it again to what I had it. It’s never gone over what I’ve set it, but I don’t entirely trust it. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/22 "2023-05-11T15:41:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Our Hyundai Ioniq does the same thing, but there’s a little button next to the gear shift labeled “P” with a symbol of rays emanating outward that turns the parking assist (and thus beeping) on and off. Similar here, but when I press it the rear camera switches off, which is not that useful when backing up. So I just move the car 6 inches back and the alarm shuts up. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/23 "2023-05-11T15:45:32Z")
Well, that’s a weird design decision. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/24 "2023-05-11T15:46:14Z")
Truly. Thanks, Audi. I mean, it makes sense that the parking features turn off if you’re not parking. But still. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/25 "2023-05-11T19:40:44Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > There is a car stopped in front of you 40 to 50 feet away. As you start to lift your foot off the accelerator (and in a Tesla that’s also braking) it will you give you the “You’re about to crash!” alarm I can corroborate the same weird glitch. Sometimes the reason is clear: I’m accelerating into a slower car ahead of me. That usually happens in the special circumstance that the car ahead slowed for a turning car in front, I see the way has cleared and expect the car directly in front of me to accelerate very soon. In those circumstance the alarm is annoying, but I wouldn’t really call it wrong, just overly sensitive. Other times it’s like you say. I’m not sure exactly why the car is yelling at me. Maybe I’m not slowing quickly enough? At least it stopped doing the thing where it would alert for parked cars on curved roads. I think I have my alerts set for “medium” sensitivity, and it’s fine. Mostly I get false positives, but any alerts are pretty rare, so I haven’t messed with it. I don’t have enough experience with other cars with similar safety systems to know if the Tesla is better, worse, or about the same as others. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/26 "2023-05-11T21:48:02Z")
Oh another one You cannot turn off the windshield wipers while in cruise control. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/27 "2023-05-11T21:53:23Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > If the Tesla sees a speed limit sign, it’ll change its speed to match the sign. It’s not capable of understanding any limitations or conditions on the sign. For example, I think it was on I10 east towards Indio, there’ll be a sign that says “70 mph”. So up to 70 mph it goes. Then a quarter mile later, there’ll be a sign that says “55 mph Trucks”, and down to 55 mph it goes. Repeat every pair of speed-limit signs after each interchange. Is this on Autopilot (cruise control plus steering) or just TACC (traffic-aware cruise control)? My wife has had a Model Y for a couple of years now and I’ve taken it on a few road trips, but as far as I’ve ever been aware, when I’m using TACC, I set the desired speed with the thumbwheel and it maintains that speed, or the best possible speed given traffic in front. I swear I don’t remember it changing speed based on signage. Am I that oblivious? ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/28 "2023-05-12T15:16:39Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > Is this on Autopilot (cruise control plus steering) or just TACC (traffic-aware cruise control)? My wife has had a Model Y for a couple of years now and I’ve taken it on a few road trips, but as far as I’ve ever been aware, when I’m using TACC, I set the desired speed with the thumbwheel and it maintains that speed, or the best possible speed given traffic in front. I swear I don’t remember it changing speed based on signage. Both. But it’s very dependent on the route. There are other routes (like I15 towards Las Vegas) where the Tesla is just fine holding the speed. But there is something weird going on with _when_ it decides to adjust its speed. I think sometimes the car is following the speed limit (and so adjusts the speed based on the perceived speed limit) and sometime it’s following the speed I’ve set (and ignores the signs completely). ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/29 "2023-05-15T17:50:18Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > But there is something weird going on with _when_ it decides to adjust its speed. I had the CC set to 45mph on a county road known as a speedtrap (hence using CC so my speed wouldn’t accidentally creep up). The Tesla decided that since I had at some point been on a freeway that it should reset my speed to 75mph. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2023, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/30 "2023-05-16T04:53:21Z")
I will never, _ever_ own a Tesla for these reasons: 1. They are Fugly 2. This Thread 3. Musk ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/31 "2023-05-27T03:52:58Z")
Why after putting the car in park do I have to wait \frac{3}{4} of a second for the animation to finish before I can tap the screen to open one of the trunks or the charge port? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/32 "2023-05-27T16:37:35Z")
Why is it even using speed limit signs in the first place? It should have (either onboard or in the cloud) a database of road speed limits that it can cross-check against the GPS. OK, sometimes there are special conditions like construction that cause a lower-than-normal speed limit, but those signs are orange. So use the database speed or a speed on an orange sign, whichever is lower (and ignore the black-on-white signs). ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/33 "2023-05-27T20:18:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It should have (either onboard or in the cloud) a database of road speed limits that it can cross-check against the GPS It does, and originally that was all it had. It still uses that, unless it reads a sign overriding the map data. Reading signs was added later to fix some kind of errors, which ended up creating others: Map based speed limits problems: - Incorrect data on the map - Missing data on the map - Special conditions should override map data Reading street sign problems: - Reading signs that don’t apply (truck speed limit, “unless otherwise posted”, max left lane, etc.) - Fooled by people adding a bit of black tape to signs (I’ve never seen this in the wild) - Reseting the cruise control set speed to a “new” speed limit, when it actually didn’t change (this is a software error, and only happens sometimes, perhaps in combination with map conditions) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/34 "2023-05-27T21:25:37Z")
Right, but the “special conditions” signs are all orange. And missing or incorrect map data only needs to be fixed once, to fix it for the entire fleet. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2023, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/35 "2023-05-28T01:11:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > the “special conditions” signs are all orange Here they are white, often with an orange border. I’ve also seen the orange signs you mention. Sometimes they are white with orange flags on top. Maybe Colorado doesn’t have strict rules. Yes, fixing the map data fixes it for everybody, and I wish there was an easy way to send feedback to google. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2023, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/36 "2023-05-28T01:58:13Z")
Huh, I thought that coloring and other design features of road signs were a federal standard. Maybe it’s one of those things where a federal standard exists, but it’s up to the individual states to actually adopt the standards. ---
**Author:** ![Tabco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tabco/32/7644_2.png) [@Tabco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabco)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/37 "2023-07-12T03:49:33Z")
That federal standard would be the MUTCD (manual on uniform traffic control devices). You can read the 800-odd page publication at the link below if you so desire: [https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/2009r1r2r3/pdf\_index.htm](https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/2009r1r2r3/pdf_index.htm) As you suspected, the manual is not uniformly adopted throughout the US. Although many states have adopted it as written, some states have adopted modified versions of it as well. From the MUTCD website: > It is interesting to note that the MUTCD is the national standard in all facets of using traffic control devices, but State transportation agencies differ in how they comply with MUTCD standards. For example, some States adopt the national MUTCD as their standard. Other States adopt the national MUTCD along with a State supplement that might prescribe which of several allowable options are selected for the State’s specific purposes. Still other States use the national MUTCD as the basis for developing their own State Traffic Control Device manuals, which must be in substantial conformance with the national MUTCD. > > When a new edition or revision of the national MUTCD is issued, States have two years to adopt it, with or without a State supplement, or to adopt a State MUTCD that is in substantial conformance with the new edition of the National MUTCD. For the 2009 edition, the date by which adoption by the States was required was January 15, 2012. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/38 "2024-02-13T16:15:31Z")
> **[Tesla employee killed in wreck was 'first death from self-driving tech](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13078375/Tesla-self-driving-killed-hans-von-ohain-colorado-drunk.html)** > > Hans von Ohain, 33, was killed in a fiery wreck in Colorado in 2022 after his Tesla swerved violently off a winding country road, potentially the first death caused by the company's self-driving tech. This is the Full Self Driving software, not the Autopilot. But there have been substantial advances in the software in the almost two years since the accident. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2024, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/39 "2024-02-13T17:36:00Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > This is the Full Self Driving software, not the Autopilot Important bit of information for those who don’t click through to the article: the driver had a BAC of 0.26, which is three times the legal limit. Obviously FSD should not swerve off the road into a tree, that is a major fault. However, the driver being that drunk is also a huge contributing factor. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2024, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803/40 "2024-02-13T20:54:30Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > However, the driver being that drunk is also a huge contributing factor. If “Full Self Driving” meant what the common meaning of those words meant it shouldn’t make any difference if he was that drunk. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-software-not-ready-for-prime-time/983803.md?page=3)