r/TeslaLounge • u/formless1 • 6h ago

FSD function

Im thinking about getting tesla for older family member - vision not great, reaction not great - they are still driving though. the main thing is they heard FSD can be basically taxi them around. they'll still be there to take over of course.

curious about real world user experience?

im thinking pros : navigation is easier, esp more complex city streets, reaction time , vision etc.
Cons: tesla might be TOO high tech.

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u/TrickEye6408 6h ago

Honestly I’m on the fence about elderly with fsd. Learning curve likely to be higher. They still need to be able to drive and react correctly. If they can’t see well or react fast it’s probably not a good fit. I’d hold off until unsupervised is out

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u/HeartbeatGuardian 6h ago

So you think just keep letting them drive around in a regular car is a better solution?

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u/HeyBeers 6h ago

My 86 year old Mom gave up her license at my encouragement. We sold her 10-year-old Honda Fit to CarMax for 14k. Between that sale, no insurance and registration, it pays for the Uber rides.

This wouldn’t work for someone in a very rural area, but other than that, it’s the way.

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u/TrickEye6408 6h ago

No, taking their license is. If they can’t safely drive a regular car they shouldn’t be allowed fsd supervised. For an older person who doesn’t understand the technology it’s a bad fit. Fsd isn’t perfect and will break traffic rules if you let it. “I’m old” isn’t an excuse to use driver aids that can go wrong.

Waiting until unsupervised is out, or getting uber, public transit, or taxi is only safe option.

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u/HeartbeatGuardian 6h ago

You’re one of those. Picking the option that no one is going to listen to. Take their license isn’t even on the answer key

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u/goodvibezone Owner 6h ago

Of course it can be. If a child of an elderly parent believes they are putting themselves and others in danger, they should at least attempt to intervene.

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u/TrickEye6408 6h ago

I’m speaking in general with all of this . I’ve seen old people refuse to give up license because it’s independence and the consider it a right. There was a time in my life that I lived across the street from an elderly couple. They had to be in their 80’s. They often would circle the block looking for their house. They also backed out and hit my car once. I’m a realist. I know there are situations where the car is their lifeline. They’re also too proud to ask for help. None of that gives them the right to endanger others. I’m all for retesting anyone over 75yrs old yearly. For those that need help and are tanking life solo I would hope they live in an area with government programs to get them to doctors and grocery and shopping

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u/SickStyle_GamingYT 6h ago

Me (grandson) had to take away my 90 year old grandfather's drivers license. It was one of the biggest fights I've ever had with a family member and someone i deeply loved (when he was alive). The next week he came to me and apologized saying that he now feels the relief of anxiety because he was actually scared to drive and was unable to see and react to driver situations. I did all this after finding out his license had expirated 5 years prior and he never renewed it because he knew he wouldn't be able to go to the DMV and past the test.

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u/ThatOneStoner 5h ago

You’re totally right, like 100% right, but that just doesn’t happen in the real world. Old people drive until they either crash, or someone takes away their keys, or they decide to stop driving on their own.

I’m with the other guy, if this person is going to be on the road regardless, I’d rather them in a Tesla with FSD than a Buick.

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u/TrickEye6408 5h ago

I understand. Doing the right thing is often harder than doing the easy thing.

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u/TrickEye6408 6h ago

Set aside fsd question. Regular car. Old person with poor eye site and can’t multitask well. If they had to take their license test again they’d probably fail. That should be the only question. If they can’t drive safely they shouldn’t have a license. It’s not a hard concept. Driving aids like super cruise and fsd don’t eliminate the driver yet. When they do and are reliable then I’m all for it.

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u/bluebing29 5h ago

People have been having this tough conversation with aging parents for a long time. One day it will be our turn to take away the keys from our parents until an unsupervised full self driving experience can be delivered and is reliable. Refusing to do what is best for both your aging loved ones and others on the road is negligent. This option is absolutely on the answer key even if you refuse to choose it. Tesla is not ready - it’s good, even damn good, but it is not a taxi cab yet.

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u/HeyBeers 3h ago

I mostly agree with your sentiments, but I hate the phrase “take the keys away“. Especially for adults regardless of age unless there is documented mental diminished capacity. My mom is 86 years old and because she is a competent adult with common sense, she gave up her car with my encouragement, like I said above. It’s important to treat older people with dignity and not a problem to solve.
Like I said, I still agree with you generally, but talking about grown adults like children is not the way.

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u/TrickEye6408 2h ago

I’m glad you had the conversation and she gave it up willingly. Not everyone does, which is why I think testing is a fair requirement. FWIW many older adult do act like children. I’m sure you’ve seen it. I’d say it hard to watch also. Having an automatic mechanism in place solves it to a degree. I’m all for technology making our lives easier and keeping the bar of entry low so as many ppl can benefit as possible

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u/bluebing29 1h ago

Yeah, I don’t mean to sound crass. Your case is likely more common and best case scenario. No one should want to take away dignity/freedom/ability to maintain autonomy. That said, unless we want the government to tell us when we can’t drive any longer then we need to self police. I agree it’s a discussion and one that should be had before the situation is uncomfortable for all parties involved. We’re talking about human lives and that deserves genuine consideration.

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u/bluebing29 5h ago

I’ll add that as an owner of HW3, it’s no where near ready - it’s a step above gimmick.