Tesla MODEL S 2012 Owner's Manual page 81

WARNING: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control may not
detect all objects and, especially when cruising
over 50 mph (80 km/h), may not brake/decelerate
when a vehicle or object is only partially in the
driving lane or when a vehicle you are following
moves out of your driving path and a stationary or
slow-moving vehicle or object is in front of you.
Always pay attention to the road ahead and stay
prepared to take immediate corrective action.
Depending on Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to
avoid a collision can result in serious injury or
death. In addition, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
may react to vehicles or objects that either do not
exist, or are not in your lane of travel, causing
Model S to slow down unnecessarily or
inappropriately.
WARNING: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control may be
unable to provide adequate speed control because
of limited braking capability and hills. It can also
misjudge the distance from a vehicle ahead.
Driving downhill can increase driving speed,
causing Model S to exceed your set speed (and
potentially the road's speed limit). Never depend
on Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to slow down
Model S enough to prevent a collision. Always
keep your eyes on the road when driving and be
prepared to take corrective action as needed.
Depending on Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to
reduce your driving speed enough to prevent a
collision can result in serious injury or death.
HOLD State
When following a vehicle, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
remains active at low speeds, even when Model S comes
to a full stop. When the vehicle is moving again, Traffic-
Aware Cruise Control resumes operating at the set
speed. However, under the following circumstances,
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control goes into a HOLD state, in
which case, you need to briefly press the accelerator
pedal or pull the Autopilot stalk toward you (see
Canceling and Resuming on page
cruising. When the HOLD status is active, the instrument
panel displays the HOLD icon and a message that
indicates that you need to resume cruise control. The
following circumstances can cause Traffic-Aware Cruise
Control to go into the HOLD state:
• Model S has been at a standstill for 5 minutes.
• Model S detects a pedestrian (the HOLD state may
clear when the pedestrian is no longer detected).
• Model S suddenly loses visibility of the vehicle in
front of you.
• An obstacle is detected in front of Model S.
Autopilot
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
80) to resume
Cruising Near or On Exits
When cruising near an exit on a controlled-access
highway and engaging the turn signal toward the off-
ramp, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control assumes you are
exiting and begins to slow down Model S. If you do not
drive onto the off-ramp, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
resumes cruising at the set speed. In a region with right
hand traffic, this occurs only when you engage the right
turn signal when driving in the right-most lane within
164 feet (50 meters) of an exit. Likewise in regions with
left hand traffic; when engaging the left turn signal when
driving in the left-most lane within 164 feet (50 meters)
of an exit.
When cruising onto an on-ramp to a controlled-access
highway, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control automatically
adjusts the set cruising speed to the speed limit of the
highway, plus any offset you have specified.
NOTE: The on-board Global Positioning System (GPS)
determines if you are driving in a region with right or left
hand traffic. In situations where GPS data is unavailable
(for example, if there is inadequate signal), engaging the
turn signal near an exit does not cause Traffic-Aware
Cruise Control to slow down Model S.
When enabled while on a highway interchange or off-
ramp, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control may reduce your set
speed in 5 mph (5 km/h) increments – to as slow as
25 mph (40 km/h) – to better match the reported
speeds of other Tesla vehicles that have driven at that
specific location. To override this and continue cruising
at your set speed, tap the accelerator pedal or move the
Autopilot stalk. The new set speed is maintained for the
duration of the interchange or off-ramp (unless you
override it or cancel Traffic-Aware Cruise Control). After
the interchange or off-ramp, the set speed may revert or
change as necessary based on the new location. For
example, if you merged onto a different highway, the set
cruising speed reverts back to what it was before driving
on the interchange.
WARNING: In some cases (such as having
insufficient data), Traffic-Aware Cruise Control may
not automatically reduce the set speed on the
highway interchange or off-ramp. Do not rely on
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to determine an
appropriate driving speed. Tesla recommends
driving at a speed that is safe for road conditions
and within posted speed limits.
Adjust the Following Distance
To adjust the following distance you want to maintain
between Model S and a vehicle traveling ahead of you,
rotate the Autopilot stalk. Choose a setting from 1 (the
closest following distance) to 7 (the longest following
distance). Each setting corresponds to a time-based
distance that represents how long it takes for Model S,
from its current location, to reach the location of the
rear bumper of the vehicle ahead of you.
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