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That's conditional hands-free driving and only in Nevada for now:
At CES earlier this January, Mercedes announced that it would become the first car company to achieve certification from the SAE for a Level 3 driver assist system. That became official on Thursday when the automaker confirmed its Drive Pilot ADAS (automated driver assist system) now complies with the requirements of Nevada Chapter 482A, which governs the use of autonomous vehicle technology on the state's roads. That makes Drive Pilot the only legal Level 3 system in the US for the moment.
[...] Level 3 capabilities, as defined by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), would enable the vehicle to handle "all aspects of the driving" when engaged but still need the driver attentive enough to promptly take control if necessary. That's a big step up from the Level 2 systems we see today such as Tesla's "Full Self-Driving," Ford's Blue Cruise, and GM's Super Cruise. All of those are essentially extra-capable highway cruise controls where the driver must maintain their attention on driving, typically keeping their hands on or at least near the wheel, and be responsible for what the ADAS is doing while it's doing it. That's a far cry from the Knight Rider-esque ADAS outlook Tesla is selling and what Level 2 autonomy is actually capable of.
[...] Drive Pilot is only available on the 2024 S-Class and EQS Sedan for now. Those are already in production and the first cars should reach the Vegas strip in the second half of this year.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by aafcac on Monday January 30 2023, @08:14PM (1 child)
No, my point is that allowing it to drive on it's own for short periods where a driver could realistically monitor and take control is likely going to need to be s part of the solution. Tesla allowing people to set the feature on for long periods ensure that people won't be ready to take over if things go wrong. But, some periods of time with the car doing everything is likely necessary.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 31 2023, @10:27AM
I can tell you right now what's gonna happen...
You are driving and you gotta go pee.
You turn the auto drive on and get your jug.
You make the requisite moves and begin filling your jug. The car velocity remains unchanged at 70 mph
Both your hands are in use...one is holding the jug, the other is holding the dispenser so as to avoid leakage onto the upholstery, knowing a leak will forever ruin that coveted new car smell.
Then a bicyclist appears out of nowhere.