From Highway Assist to Hands-Free-Assist & Lane change assist - An Air Positive review

[Saksak]

HOV lane is not a passing lane - it's a paid-for lane, or a lane available to cars with multiple passengers. Solid lines do not always separate the HOV lane from normal traffic flow.

You are right that the HOV lane is not a general passing lane. However, “keep right except to pass” is still common courtesy, helps the overall traffic flow, and it’s safer for everyone. Why would you want to camp in the left most lane, HOV or not, when cars are passing you on the right? It leads to road rage and tailgating as the faster car behind you is trying to get you to move over.

In Europe, this law enforced, and European drivers coming to the US are shocked when they are regularly passed on the right.

Don’t be a road boulder, please.

 

[doctorjan]

I have a '23 Air Touring with Dream Drive Pro. Hands Free Drive Assist works very well on designated highways. Makes road trips much easier.

I totally agree. My own '23 AT w/ DDP is great when on an open highway. I've even used it successfully on some secondary roads. I just hope they get to more comprehensive FSD-type capacity ASAP. I love what the Teslas can do, although I'd NEVER own one.

 

[Bill.gartner]

You are right that the HOV lane is not a general passing lane. However, “keep right except to pass” is still common courtesy, helps the overall traffic flow, and it’s safer for everyone. Why would you want to camp in the left most lane, HOV or not, when cars are passing you on the right? It leads to road rage and tailgating as the faster car behind you is trying to get you to move over.

In Europe, this law enforced, and European drivers coming to the US are shocked when they are regularly passed on the right.

Don’t be a road boulder, please.

HOV lanes are there for high occupancy vehicles and as an incentive to car-pool. in places where there are no HOV lanes, then your explanation is right - the left most lane is a passing lane. In places where there are HOV lanes, they are intended for continuous use - it's not discourteous to remain in the lane - you are either paying for that privilege or have 2+ passengers in the vehicle. There are no road rage issues associated with HOV lanes - either you are entitled to use the lane (much like an express lane on many highways that is a separate lane or section of the highway) or you are not - but it is not an issue of being polite - this is an established lane for high-occupancy, or, in many states - the driver is paying for the right to be in the lane, and the fees are generally tied to traffic - higher price to access the HOV lane in times of heavy traffic and lower price to access the lane in times of light traffic. Hope this helps.

 

[raleighone]

I'm in a loaner Air now. I'm 5'8 and for the life of me, I cannot get the seat & wheel in any position that does NOT block the turn signal videos and speedometer on main screen.

If only they could OTA upgrade that wheel to a squircle. ;-)

 

[DeaneG]

I'm in a loaner Air now. I'm 5'8 and for the life of me, I cannot get the seat & wheel in any position that does NOT block the turn signal videos and speedometer on main screen.

That's what is required for the face camera (black rectangle mounted below the driver's screen) to see you.

 

[raleighone]

That's what is required for the face camera (black rectangle mounted below the driver's screen) to see you.

Lol...sure. Odometer and turn signal videos blocked but at least it can see me. Gravity solved this. My guess is next big Air refresh/upgrade will have squircle.

 

[Aka-none]

I totally agree. My own '23 AT w/ DDP is great when on an open highway. I've even used it successfully on some secondary roads. I just hope they get to more comprehensive FSD-type capacity ASAP. I love what the Teslas can do, although I'd NEVER own one.

Not sure I’d use Tesla as an example of safe driving. At least as exhibited by some videos I’ve seen.
It seems to work on all interstate and us roads. Has anyone else seen it offered on state or county roads?

 

[martinjlm]

Not sure I’d use Tesla as an example of safe driving. At least as exhibited by some videos I’ve seen.
It seems to work on all interstate and us roads. Has anyone else seen it offered on state or county roads?

If you are talking about Tesla FSD I can say first hand that it has improved over the past year, year and a half to where it is hands down the best ADAS application available. Period. End of sentence. End of paragraph. Even though it is camera only, it does an amazing job of navigating address to address and then gives you the option to park or just pull over. If a parking lot is available it offers that as a parking option also.

Does it make mistakes? Heck yeah, but IME mistakes are less than 3 - 5% of the time and MUCH less severe than they were two years ago. A couple years ago mistakes I experienced included trying to pull into a lane where I could clearly see a State Trooper approaching at triple digit speeds, lights and sirens going. Today the worst mistakes are pulling into the wrong driveway or taking a right on red where it is clearly marked "No Right On Red".

It is probably overall about 99% sorted. But as I've often said on the Tesla forum, it's that last 1% that'll get ya killed. And that's why it is labeled Full Self Driving (Supervised). Still, it is by far the best thing available today.

 

[Saksak]

HOV lanes are there for high occupancy vehicles and as an incentive to car-pool. in places where there are no HOV lanes, then your explanation is right - the left most lane is a passing lane. In places where there are HOV lanes, they are intended for continuous use - it's not discourteous to remain in the lane - you are either paying for that privilege or have 2+ passengers in the vehicle. There are no road rage issues associated with HOV lanes - either you are entitled to use the lane (much like an express lane on many highways that is a separate lane or section of the highway) or you are not - but it is not an issue of being polite - this is an established lane for high-occupancy, or, in many states - the driver is paying for the right to be in the lane, and the fees are generally tied to traffic - higher price to access the HOV lane in times of heavy traffic and lower price to access the lane in times of light traffic. Hope this helps.

Let’s get out of the HOV lane vs. passing lane debate. Alternate rule of thumb that we see on highway signs in some areas: “Slower traffic keep right.”

If you are in the left lane with a stack of cars behind you and being passed in the right, those drivers are probably cursing you.

DDPro moving out of the HOV lane to follow that rule is good.