While Tesla continues to tout the benefits of its Autopilot driving assist and insist that true self-driving capability is close to release, its latest updates work even when Autopilot isn't on. As described in a blog post, Lane Departure Avoidance and Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance use the cameras, sensors and radar in its cars to avoid dangerous situations. Other manufacturers use their car's driving assist sensors in similar ways, and it's good to see Tesla enhancing safety at all times. The features are coming to Model 3 cars first, and eventually all of its cars built after October 2016, which are the ones equipped with NVIDIA-powered Autopilot 2.0 hardware or newer.

When the new hardware first rolled out, it lacked some of the earlier setup's safety features including basic lane departure warnings, but eventually added them with calibration and updates. Even with the updates, the Autopilot system has also faced controversy due to accidents and claims drivers aren't paying enough attention while the system is enabled -- today's post notably specifies that "Autopilot is designed to reduce fatigue by helping drivers stay in their lane, while also ensuring that they keep their hands on the wheel."