I drove a friend's Tesla and it actually made me feel safer than my own car

I know everyone in this group hates self driving cars and thinks they're gonna kill us all. But last month I was visiting my cousin in San Jose and he let me take his Model 3 on the highway for a few miles. I had the autopilot on and it honestly reacted faster than I could when a truck cut me off. The car braked smooth and steady while I would have probably jerked the wheel or slammed the brakes. I still don't trust them 100% but that one moment made me think maybe we're too scared of the wrong things. Like, how many human drivers cause wrecks every day because they're texting or tired? Maybe the machines are better at staying awake. Has anyone else actually used one of these systems and had a moment where it did something you couldn't?

3 comments

3 Comments

shane_park9229d ago

Ngl that smooth braking ahead of time is exactly the kind of thing that makes me reconsider the whole debate too.

logan56129d ago

Ive driven a 2021 Model Y about 500 miles on autopilot now, and the biggest thing I noticed is how it handles sudden slowdowns in traffic. The car starts braking way before I even see the brake lights ahead, and it does it smooth, not jerky like I would. That kind of reaction time is something no human can match when youre distracted or tired.

kai_webb9129d ago

The radar on those cars really does see through traffic in a way our eyes just can't, it's wild how it can predict a slowdown before anyone's brake lights even come on. That early smooth braking is honestly the biggest reason I'd trust the tech more than myself on a long drive when I'm zoning out lol.