Tesla Autopilot without the wheel nag? The palms-up test
I tested Autopilot in a Model 3: with my hands on my lap, palms up and visible, the car stopped asking me to touch the wheel. Palms down, and the nag came right back.
I tested Autopilot with Autosteer (double pull on the stalk) in a Model 3, in town and on a national road, and noticed something new to me: with my hands resting on my legs, palms up and visible, the car stopped asking me to touch the wheel.
What I saw
- Hands at my waist: the "apply slight turning force to the steering wheel" alert shows up within seconds.
- Hands on my legs palms up: the alert disappears without touching the wheel.
- Hands on my legs palms down: nothing changes. Flip the palms and the alert goes away.
I drove for several minutes with no alert at all while the car held its lane and following distance, including when another car signalled and cut in. The difference comes from the cabin camera above the mirror, which checks whether you are ready to grab the wheel.
Limits
Autopilot doesn't handle roundabouts, so I disengaged there and re-engaged afterwards. With my foot on the accelerator, the car seemed confused and took longer to accept the palms. It is still a driver-assist system: you must stay attentive and ready to take over at all times. This is not a shortcut to taking your eyes off the road.
It is probably a recent Tesla software change. If you had already spotted it, tell me in the video comments.
