Tesla self drive car overtaking cyclists

[icowden]

It may take a bizarre spill for a cyclist on a straight road to fall into the path of a car passing five feet away, but it would be an even rarer one to be in the next lane, so why risk it? It just seems like lazy driving, increasing the risk to the rider because one can't be bothered turning the steering wheel a little more.

I think it's human nature and perception of risk.

If I am driving on a normal 2 lane road and want to overtake the car in front, then obviously I have to pull into the oncoming traffic lane to complete the overtake. As I plan and execute the maneuver I am acutely aware that I need to have sufficient distance to oncoming traffic to safely complete the overtake and that risk is heightened dependent on the amount of road I can see in front of me. I'm at speed, so covering ground quickly. My natural instinct is to want to get back to "my lane" as quickly as possible.

Now if I apply the same logic to overtaking a cyclist, whilst I could do a whole lane pass (and there are plenty of reasons why I should do this - cyclist is at a slower speed than a car would be etc) the tendency is not to want to do that but to minimise my exposure to the oncoming traffic lane. Thus the more common overtake is the half lane overtake. It minimises exposure to the other lane, reduces the distance that I have to move off line etc. People tend to go with what they feel is right, rather than what might be better.

In my experience, the "whole lane" overtakers tend to be more nervous (e.g. P Plates), or more elderly drivers.

 

[Mr Celine]

When I was learning to drive (40 years ago in Perth) one of the local driving examiners cycled to his work every day. If you had him for the test and got within 6 feet of a moving cyclist you failed.
The local driving instructors knew this and taught their pupils accordingly.

The Tesla in the first post would not have passed its test with that examiner.

 

[winjim]

In my experience, the "whole lane" overtakers tend to be more nervous (e.g. P Plates), or more elderly drivers.

Driving back into Sheffield from watching the Tour of Britain stage out at Strines, I've never seen so many well executed and considerate overtakes. So it's not just the nervous and elderly, it's also people who give a shoot about cyclists.

 

[mjr]

Driving back into Sheffield from watching the Tour of Britain stage out at Strines, I've never seen so many well executed and considerate overtakes. So it's not just the nervous and elderly, it's also people who give a shoot about cyclists.

Yes, but if we don't insult and belittle competent drivers, the inconsiderate ones might start feeling bad(!)

 

[rivers]

None, but I don't moan about 'close passes'. If cyclists want to moan about drivers than cyclists need insurance and regulating like driver do. I cycle as much as I drive these days, so lets not pretend cyclists are some how 'more entitled' to be on the road than drivers. Why should a car move all the way over because some cyclists are taking up road space?

I, as well as many other cyclists, have third party liability insurance. Mine is for £15 million cover. How about yours? I am not more entitled than other road users, however, I am just as entitled to use the road as other road users. Cyclists do not "take up road space". It's being a decent human being to pass another road user safely, which includes moving over. Sadly, there are too many people on this planet who don't know what it's like to be a decent human these days.

 

[Milkfloat]

People don't design things to comply with decency. They design them to comply with laws.
In the US, most states seem to have a law that states that a car shall always leave 3 feet of distance between the right side and the cyclist.
It is therefore likely that the programmers at Tesla have programmed Tesla autopilot to obey those laws.

https://www.ncsl.org/research/transportation/safely-passing-bicyclists.aspx#:~:text=The driver of a vehicle overtaking a bicycle traveling in,clear of the overtaken bicycle.

Of course this is one of the many complications of rolling out Autopilot worldwide. The Tesla AI has to understand and comply with motoring laws in many different countries.

The law is a minimum of x feet. I am not sure how Tesla have done it, but it should be as simple as a minimum x ft distance but use the full lane if possible.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Thus the more common overtake is the half lane overtake.

My experience of these 'alongsiders' is that when something does come the other way I am forgotten about and the eejit quickly returns to the left while I'm still there.

Treat the lane as fully occupied, as you would with any other vehicle.

 

[gzoom]

Sadly, there are too many people on this planet who don't know what it's like to be a decent human these days.

And as I keep pointing out I live in the real world not a fantasy land. Unless someone tells me they have a way to make cars overtake them on the other lanes all this noise is just that, noise, which most motorists will not care about.

On my commute to work today not a single car moved to the other lane when overtaking me, so what is it you guys want me to do??

Removing human drivers is the only way to ensure cars behave according to legislation around cyclists. Incidentally in my Tesla when on Autopilot the car will refuse to go over the set speed limit, so 30 really is 30. If the legislation was you have to pass a cyclist in the opposite lane thats exactly now the car can be programmed to respond.

Till than I still await the magical answer no one here has given me........How to do I ensure cars over take me in the other lane on my commute home tonight?

 

[gzoom]

Treat the lane as fully occupied, as you would with any other vehicle.

Are you suggesting I should cycle in the middle of the road all the time???

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Are you suggesting I should cycle in the middle of the road all the time???

Hardly.

I'm addressing lane-share overtakers and suggesting they treat the lane the cyclist is in as already occupied and move right over to the next one.

If you want to cycle in the middle of your lane, I (as a motorist) will have absolutely no problem with that.

 

[CXRAndy]

The car moved half into the other lane; that seems ok to me.

On another note: impressive piece of software and the way the sensors pick up obstacles. I wish more software was written like that rather than the consumer crap the rest of us get.

Im looking forward to the subsequent release to all Tesla's. I have full FSD awaiting the latest iteration.

However, its very good already, just not full fat coke. My car picks out pedestrians and cyclists, will slow down and await for me to complete the manoeuvre

 

[Arjimlad]

I'm quite thankful really, that drivers who have the attitude displayed in some posts above get corrected when they're reported to the police.

A close pass is classed as driving without due care and prosecuted as such in most areas of the UK.

Close passes and other dangerous driving habits are the biggest deterrent to would-be cyclists in my experience. Sharing the road with drivers should not be just for the bold & the brave or those willing to risk their necks. My family & I should be able to cycle to work or to school without some impatient clot putting us in danger of death or serious injury.

The majority of people driving understand the need to give space, and we need to weed out the bad apples where we can, and where practical, provide segregated infra.

 

[Tripster]

. 90% of motorist see cyclists some thing to be tolerated, about 1% probably want to run us off the road.

Where did this bullshit statistic come from ?

 

[Dave Davenport]

Where did this bullshit statistic come from ?

Quite, it's common knowledge that the actual figures are 88.637% and 1.026% (rounded up) respectively.

 

[mjr]

[...] and where practical, provide segregated infra.

Ahhhh you lost my support on the penultimate word there! I want protected infra, not segregated. As cyclist numbers increase (and I get older), it'll become even more important that the faster "brave and bold" can use the carriageway to overtake the likes of me

...without fear of dud overtakes from self-driving cars, too.