Speed Assist

How Speed Assist Works

Model 3 displays a speed limit on the touchscreen and you can choose if and how you are warned when you exceed the speed limit. In addition, a blue outline may appear around the speed limit icon to notify that you are above the speed limit.

Instead of using the detected speed limit, you can base warnings on an arbitrary speed limit that you enter manually.

Note

When using Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, you can touch this speed limit sign to change your set cruising speed to the detected speed limit (including any offsets that you have set).

Touchscreen with arrow pointing to speed limit

Note

On roads where the map data determines that a conditional speed limit exists (for example, a speed limit based on time of day or weather conditions), a second speed limit displays below the first speed limit. It is the driver's responsibility to determine whether the conditional speed limit is currently in effect and adjust the driving speed accordingly. You may need to update the onboard maps to display conditional speed limits (Map Updates).

In situations where Model 3 is unable to determine a speed limit, or if Speed Assist is uncertain that an acquired speed limit is accurate, the touchscreen may not display a speed limit sign and warnings do not take effect.

Note

Speed limit warnings go away after ten seconds, or when Model 3 slows down below the specified limit.

Warning

Do not rely on Speed Assist to determine the appropriate speed limit or driving speed. Always drive at a safe speed based on traffic and road conditions.

Controlling Speed Assist

To adjust the Speed Limit Warning setting, touch Controls > Autopilot > Speed Limit Warning, then choose one of these options:

Off - Speed limit warnings do not display and chimes are not sounded.
Display - Speed limit signs display on the touchscreen and the sign increases in size when you exceed the determined limit.
Chime - In addition to the visual display, a chime is sounded when you exceed the determined speed limit.

You can also specify how the speed limit is determined:

Relative - You can set a speed limit offset (+ or -) if you want to be alerted only when you exceed the offset speed limit by a specified amount. For example, you can increase the offset to +10 mph (10 km/h) if you only want to be warned when you exceed the speed limit by 10 mph (10 km/h).
Absolute - Manually specify any speed limit between 20 and 140 mph (30 and 240 km/h).

Note

Speed Assist is not always accurate. In some situations, the location of a road can be miscalculated and Speed Assist can display a speed for a directly adjacent road that may have a different speed limit. For example, Speed Assist can assume Model 3 is on a controlled-access highway when it is actually on a nearby surface street, and vice versa.

Note

Your chosen setting is retained until you manually change it.

Live Average Speed

When driving through an average speed zone, Model 3 displays your average speed on the touchscreen below the detected speed limit.

The touchscreen also shows the distance remaining in the average speed zone.

Note

Premium Connectivity required. To enable this feature, enable online routing by touching Controls > Navigation > Online Routing (see Maps and Navigation).

Limitations and Inaccuracies

Speed Assist may not be fully functional or may provide inaccurate information in these situations:

Visibility is poor and speed limit signs are not clearly visible (due to heavy rain, snow, fog, etc.).
Bright light (such as from oncoming headlights or direct sunlight) is interfering with the view of the camera(s).
Model 3 is being driven very close to a vehicle in front of it which is blocking the view of the camera(s).
The windshield is obstructing the view of the camera(s) (fogged over, dirty, covered by a sticker, etc.).
Speed limit signs are concealed by objects.
The speed limits stored in the map database are incorrect or outdated.
Model 3 is being driven in an area where GPS or map data is not available or where speed limit signs can not be detected.
Traffic signs that do not conform to standard recognizable formats, such as digital or temporary speed signs.
A road or a speed limit has recently changed.

Warning

The list above does not represent an exhaustive list of situations that may interfere with proper operation of Speed Assist. Speed Assist may fail to provide warnings for many other reasons.