Or, as in the Thatcham Research video, stuff that's hidden by a leading vehicle. I always make an effort to know what vehicles far ahead are doing. If necessary, I shift off lane occasionally to check for hidden stuff. And when I'm behind large vehicles, I don't follow so closely that I can't see what's ahead.
But if you're going to do all that, why use Autopilot?
What's the point of having a self-driving system that doesn't do all that? The entire point of self-driving systems is that they're safer because they can see farther, anticipate more, and react faster than any human. If they can't, what's the point? Why even offer Autopilot?
Sounds like my Grandma. For her safety, and everyone else's, she doesn't drive any more.
I don't under stand the value of Autopilot at all. What is the value in sitting there concentrating on driving without slightly the turning the wheel to stay in a lane.
First, I think doing nothing but still being expected to pay attention is more annoying than having a role in driving. But even without that, whats so fucking hard about moving the wheel a little bit.
Autopilot when used correctly can significantly reduce fatigue because you are not focussed on the minutiae of keeping pace with the car in front of you and keeping the car in the assigned lane. This frees your attention up for higher level operation such as observing the traffic further ahead, scanning for hazards, and enjoying the scenery to your left and right.
Discerning stationary hazards from stationary scenery is not part of Autopilot’s feature set right now, that is your job as the operator.