Pilot Assist conditions and limitations

To use Pilot Assist safely, it's important to be aware of its limitations. While it's an advanced function, there are conditions and situations that it cannot handle.

Driver responsibility when using Pilot Assist

While Pilot Assist takes over many tasks related to driving, you are still considered the driver and are responsible as such. When using the function, you are still required to actively and attentively drive the car. Pilot Assist does not know your intentions or the intentions of other drivers. It cannot predict or identify every potentially hazardous situation that an attentive driver can. It's your responsibility to continuously assess Pilot Assist's performance and act if necessary. As long as you judge its input to be correct, you can let it guide your driving.

 Important

Driving conditions

Assessing Pilot Assist's performance requires that you take all driving, traffic, weather or road conditions into consideration. For example, if there is poor visibility you may need to increase the distance to vehicles ahead compared to the distance kept by Pilot Assist. The same applies to maintaining a speed that is safe for the current road and traffic conditions.

Improved safety and convenience

When used correctly, Pilot Assist can improve safety and reduce the effort of driving. In some cases, it can compensate for driver errors, such as mistakes caused by lapses of attention or distractions. This potential benefit is a supplement to safe driving practices. It does not reduce or replace the need for the driver to stay attentive and focused on driving safely.

Driver readiness

Using speed- and distance-keeping features can result in long periods of you not using the pedals. However, you must remain prepared and ready to brake or accelerate manually if necessary. Avoid changing your driving posture in ways that can delay your response time.

Hands on the wheel

Pilot Assist can guide your steering but you are still required to keep your hands on the steering wheel, just like when driving unassisted. As long as you judge the steering input to be correct, you can let Pilot Assist guide your steering.

Eyes on the road

When using Pilot Assist you must still remain attentive as a driver. This includes keeping track of your surroundings and the traffic around you, just like when driving unassisted.

Speed range for Pilot Assist

Pilot Assist is available at different speeds depending on the context of activation and use.
  • When using Pilot Assist without steering assistance, you can set target speeds between 20-180 km/h (10-110 mph).
  • When using Pilot Assist with steering assistance, you can set target speeds between 20-150 km/H (10-90 mph).
  • Pilot Assist can be activated below 20 km/h (20 mph), but will then try to accelerate up to the minimum set speed.
  • When following another vehicle, Pilot Assist can stay active below 20 km/h (10 mph).
    • In situations where you are driving slowly behind other vehicles, such as in a traffic queue, you may be able to use Pilot Assist despite driving slower than 20 km/h (10 mph). This requires a vehicle ahead whose speed your car can match.1

Activation and availability

Several conditions must be met to activate Pilot Assist. They can be related to the current traffic and road conditions or the car's system status. Some are related to the car being driving-ready, such as the driver wearing their seatbelt, keeping their hands on the steering wheel2 and all doors being closed. Others relate to your current driving situation, such as driving at a speed within the speed range for Pilot Assist. If activation is prevented, the specific reason is typically communicated in the driver information area.

Keeping track of vehicles ahead

One of Pilot Assist's capabilities is to adapt the car's speed to a vehicle ahead and maintain a certain distance to it. Pilot Assist's behaviour and ability to track traffic ahead depends on several factors, such as your speed and the speed of the vehicle in front.

Very slow or stationary vehicles in front of you can make Pilot Assist behave differently, depending on the situation and your speed:
  • If Pilot Assist follows a vehicle that comes to a stop, Pilot Assist slows your car down to a stop behind the other vehicle.
  • If a stopped vehicle is detected ahead of you, Pilot Assist will slow your car down in an attempt to stop behind the other vehicle.
    • Depending on your driving speed, the car may not be able to reach a full stop behind the vehicle in front. You are always responsible for keeping track of the surrounding traffic and driving the car in a way that allows you to react and control it safely.
  • When driving at high speeds, stationary vehicles in front of you can be misinterpreted by Pilot Assist, such as when catching up to a stationary traffic queue. In a situation like this, Pilot Assist will not consider the stopped cars or slow your car down. Always be attentive and available to control your car and brake when necessary.

 Warning

Stopped or slow vehicles ahead

A stopped vehicle in your lane is a collision risk that requires you to act by braking or steering.3

  • At speeds below 5 km/h (3 mph) Pilot Assist may pause when following another vehicle:
    • if there is uncertainty whether what's detected in front is a stopped vehicle or another object4.
    • if the vehicle ahead makes a turn and leaves your driving path.

Car status and systems

Pilot Assist relies on the accurate detection and identification of surrounding traffic and road conditions. This includes using information from the cameras, radars and other sensors. The detection system cannot handle all driving, traffic, weather or road conditions. Read the separate manual sections about detection types, how they work and their limitations to better understand how Pilot Assist's performance can be affected.

Several of Pilot Assist's features depend on other systems in the car.
  • To adapt the speed to vehicles ahead, the car uses a combination of radar and camera detection. Consequently, conditions and limitations of these systems can affect the availability and performance of this feature.
  • Steering assistance is only available when the car can identify its position on the road through camera detection of lane markings.
    • This requires that the road conforms to certain standards.
    • Conditions and limitations of the car's camera detection can affect the availability and performance of steering assistance.

 Important

Car faults

Certain car faults can affect the availability of driver support features. Check the car status view for indicated issues if Pilot Assist is unavailable.

Car alterations

Modifications, repairs and accessory installations can negatively affect or limit driver support features. There is a separate manual section with detailed information on this topic.

Other conditions and limitations

  • Pilot Assist is primarily intended for use when driving on level road surfaces. It may have difficulty keeping the correct distance to vehicles ahead on steep downhill slopes.
  • Do not use Pilot Assist when driving with a trailer or heavy loads.
  1. 1 Pilot Assist's lowest target speed is 20 km/h (10 mph), even if your speed at activation is lower than that.
  2. 2 Wearing gloves can sometimes interfere with the hand-detection sensors on the steering wheel
  3. 3 Your car can still warn you of the collision risk and perform a safety intervention if you fail to react in time. This can happen separately from Pilot Assist's capabilities.
  4. 4 Such as obstacles designed to encourage slow driving.

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