Turn signals drivers#
Turn signals driver#

Furthermore, while driving in Autopilot, the vehicle can turn on the blinker automatically, but if the driver takes over, the blinker won’t shut itself off. As a result, a driver can have difficulty knowing if their blinkers are on if their eyes are on the road and the cabin is noisy (like when listening to music, talking, or being next to a loud vehicle). The visual indicator is a small green circle with an arrow that blinks (see the example at the top of the article), while the audible indicator is a subdued pip-pip-pip sound. The car provides this feedback in two ways: with visual and audible feedback. See a demonstration of the turn signals in action, and note how the stalk returns itself to the center position automatically.

Turn signals drivers#

Because of this, drivers must rely on other forms of feedback to know if their blinker is on. Unlike most other vehicles, the signal stalk does not lock into place when it gets activated - it is “auto-centering”, and returns to the middle position on its own. What’s the problem?įor a few simple reasons, the turn signals in the Model 3 are really easy to accidentally leave switched on. I look forward to your thoughts and feedback in the comments, as well.

It’s a form of public User Acceptance Testing crossed with feature brainstorming on a massive scale, and it’s a lot of fun. This is the first in a series of articles exploring some of the design decisions behind these prototypes and discussing feedback received from literal tens of thousands of Tesla owners. I’m hoping that the immense interest some of these prototypes have received helps the talented folks at Tesla know what the public is eager to see, and gives folks the ammunition they need to get traction on some of the improvements they’ve no doubt already been advocating for, themselves. But what I’ve seen firsthand time and time again is that a good prototype has a way of convincing folks who have yet to get bought in. These prototypes have become incredibly popular, bringing in over 1.25 million views across all platforms since I started making them in January. Being on sabbatical, I’ve found myself with a bit of extra bandwidth as I’m wrapping up the book I’m writing, so I’ve started mocking up and prototyping some of the Tesla interface improvements I’ve been dreaming of. As a designer and a Tesla driver, I’m both struck by the potential of the in-car interface and plagued with ideas I’m eager to see implemented.