Tesla to Let You Disable Autopilot Steering Wheel Nag in January, Says Musk

When using Tesla’s Autopilot, the system will periodically display a message that reads, “apply slight turning force to steering wheel.”

This message is known as the Autopilot “nag”, to ensure that you’re paying attention and awake. Some people have purchased Autopilot “defeat devices”, to bypass this alert, but Tesla has caught on with its newest software updates.

“When active, Autosteer requires you to hold the steering wheel. If it does not detect your hands on the steering wheel for a period of time, a flashing blue light appears at the top of the car status section of the touchscreen and the following message displays,” says Tesla.

“Autosteer detects your hands by recognizing slight resistance as the steering wheel turns, or from you manually turning the steering wheel very lightly (without enough force to take over steering). Autosteer also qualifies your hands as being detected if you engage a turn signal or use a button or scroll wheel on the steering wheel,” says the automaker’s vehicle manuals.

Now, it appears Tesla will be allowing owners to disable this Autopilot nag this month, according to CEO Elon Musk.

“Users with more than 10,000 miles on FSD Beta should be given the option to turn off the steering wheel nag.
@elonmusk,” said @WholeMarsBlog on Saturday, who frequently shares videos of FSD beta drives with zero interventions (aside from acknowledging the Autopilot nag).

Musk replied to say, “Agreed, update coming in [January],” suggesting we may see this option soon, bringing hands-free driving.

Agreed, update coming in Jan

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 31, 2022

Tesla now has 285,000 owners with access to Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta, as noted by the company in its list of 2022 updates and highlights.