Submitted 2 days ago by PhilipTheBucket@ponder.cat to technology@lemmy.zip
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/terrified-friends-burned-death-tesla-34087725
See? This. This is why I don’t trust my safety to electronic systems. The fancy computer controlled locks and latches are great when they work. When they don’t, shit like this happens.
At least most cars still have a physical connection between the door handle and the locking mechanism. Not Tesla, for no good goddamned reason.
Killed by the department of efficiency
It’s an apt analogue for what we should all expect from the DOGE; burning to death while everyone watches in terror.
Holy fuck, I never registered that that was the acronym for it.
Not calling it that, it’s the DGE
It hurts seeing a meme that was fun a decade ago get run into the ground by being used so aggressively and so long and so fucking uncoolly.
This is what it says on their website. Hope you’ve got the link handy if you’re in a crash, and also that you’re not in one that doesn’t have this…
Are you kidding meeeee
Look it’s very simple if you get in a crash and are on fire.
Stop. Drop. Roll. Remove the mat from the bottom of the rear door pocket. Press the red tab to remove the access door. Pull the mechanical release cable forward. Remember that not all Model Y vehicles are equipped with a manual release for the rear doors. Die.
Rolls right off the tongue. If you’re still in trouble call 0118 999 88199 9119 725 3.
Not all Model Y vehicles are equipped with a manual release for the rear doors.
I think I see a problem.
Also: that’s waaaay too many steps for an emergency. Imagine trying to dismantle the door trim when you have a concussion.
This is what it looks like when they’re legally forced to do something, but still don’t want to do it, and their customers are idiots who can afford to pay for redundant features.
So you know, goverment inefficiency. /s
I hear the new guy in charge of that is a genius!
Realistically they should show the owners at the dealership and make sure they open it several times before taking it off the lot then reinforce it in software and make them release it once a month.
If I remember right, it damages the car to use the manual door override.
And what about the passengers? Is the owner going to be required to give an airline attendant “emergency exits are located here” safety speech every time someone hops in the car with them? Can we actually trust them to do so?
Also, not all models have mechanical release mechanisms in the rear doors. There are models where it is 100% possible to just be locked in the back seat. And when you only have ~15 seconds to escape before the lithium flames+smoke cook you, you’re not going to be able to crawl to the front.
make everything electronic because Elon thinks it is super cool
put manual overrides because it was a bad idea
It’s so easy! When you get in a crash are panicking and disoriented, who needs a simple quick lever that’s there at all times??? Simply follow these complicated 3 steps to extract yourself from the burning vehicle!
Or they could try a front door, which is much more straightforward
What important living beings go in the back anyway? It’s usually just babies, pets, and children.
Man, I bet those dead kids in the back seat feel so stupid now.
In my neck of the woods a couple weeks ago five people burned to death in a Tesla. Apparently called 911 from inside the car too. No national news on this either.
In my neck of the woods, four people burned to death in a Tesla last month (news article in French).
what a metaphor for America
Well they don’t say where it was but I’m assuming it’s Canada since a Canada post employee saved one by smashing the window with a big pole so she could crawl out.
It happened in downtown Toronto.
<smashes window> Sorry!
Regardless of where it happened, it’s still an apt metaphor for America
with a bonus nonmetaphorical Musk tie-in.
In the US there are nine investigations involving the Tesla Model Y, ranging from “unexpected brake activation” to “sudden unintended acceleration,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Expect those investigations to quietly go away or turn up nothing in about two months from now.
I doubt it as that would be a very bad look
I can’t believe there isn’t an NHTSA regulation about manual egress from an unpowered vehicle. This is just bonkers.
There are manual releases but they’re hidden. They need to be more obvious because these cars are rented to people and obviously the owners aren’t taking the time to figure out where they’re at.
I would also think just having secondary power packs in each door would help in the event power is cut to ensure the doors can continue to function for a few minutes while also a speaker could explain how to use the emergency release if none of the doors are working.
Or, how about this: it’s a door, have it work like every other car door for the last 70 years.
Redesigning stuff to make it “cool” and “futuristic” is fucking stupid and is clearly not safe. Doors have handles, the handles are pulled to open the door. Keep it simple.
The reason given for hiding them just makes that fact worse. It’s for “aesthetics”.
Eject the doors with explosives as soon as the vehicle velocity is zero and fuck everyone else. Tumbler style.
When I drove in a Tesla Model 3, the owner told me not to use the big pull handle because it was the manual release, and instead to use the button at the top of the grab bar.
I don’t know about the other models but the manual release was a more obvious way to open the door than the intended way.
Yeah, imagine if the air brakes failed on a transport truck and instead of them defaulting to on, they no longer worked…
Or if your Anti-lock braking system defaulted to no brakes instead of brakes without Anti-lock
Or if the power goes out an elevator just falls to the ground
Or if…
That one’s a deal breaker. Never getting in one again. And yes, that means a lot of taxi cabs 🤷♂️🙄
Yeah but mechanical car door handles aren’t “Cool.” You don’t want to have a car that isn’t cool, right?
Some GenZ kids were talking about how cool rolling up a window with a handle was and wished it was in cars again. It was refreshing to hear.
What fucking idiot builds fail-deadly electric door controls into a very flammable car
There is a manual unlock mechanism, but from what I read it’s rather hidden and not very obvious. Sounds like really bad design to me.
Friendly reminder that everyone should have one of these seatbelt-cutter-window-hammer things in their glovebox Image
Wouldn’t be a good look for that wankpanzer if a $5 tool from Walmart could bust through its windows. Better call it a Cyber-izer and sell it for $200.
“when a crash disabled its electronic doors.”
Female AI voice: Please stay in your seats with your seat belts on until I contact Elon
Always have an emergency tool in your car to break your windows in case this shit happens to you. Even if you’re in a car not designed by a god damn moron.
So happy my car is not a tesla.
Find a good lawyer and sue the living shit out of Tesla and “Leon.” I agree with the majority of the comments.
This reminds me… I need a glass breaking hammer for safety in my non Tesla car.
Ah when you try to reinvent the the wheel, fail, and then kill people with it
I put two window smashers with seatbelt cutters in my Wife’s Model Y for this reason. The back seat door releases are HARD to notice as they are buried in a door pocket. We are getting rid of the car next year for something made by an actual 100 year old car company and not run by a fucking greedy dork.
This is not utopia
This isn’t a Tesla or EV problem though. How many back doors have child safety locks?
“Fuck elon musk”
Car: “Error: Electronic Lock Malfunction. Please say ‘I love Elon Musk’ to begin troubleshooting.”
Hell yeah let’s put this guy in charge of something
Any car without manual door locks and handles is a death trap. They should be required by law.
Turn onto your back with your feet towards the door/ window, grab the steering wheel and the doorward edge of the seat, and kick out the window with both feet. This can also be done from a passenger seat as well.
“For god’s sake call customer service!!!”
Fyi, your seatbelt buckle should be able to smash a window in an emergency
Everyone keeps commenting mad about “mechanical doors”. Y’all. All Tesla’s have mechanical release doors. There is caveat on the rear doors:
Model S: Front and rear doors have manual release
Model 3: Front doors; rear doors only on the Model 3 Highland update
Model X: Front doors and rear Falcon Wing doors
Model Y: Front doors; some rear doors
Is this satire?
I actually like Musk, and when the Tesla came out, I def wanted one. But man, stories like this make me sooo happy I was way to poor ever to afford one!
Pirky@lemmy.world 2 days ago
When I first learned that Teslas (and almost all other EV’s) have electronic only doors, I knew this kind of situation would happen.
I hope this gets laws enacted that force manufacturers to install mechanical latches on all of their vehicles. I know Teslas have manual overrides on their front doors, but the rear doors still have this issue.
cm0002@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Considering Musk’s love affair with the incoming administration, I wouldn’t bet on it for the next 4 years (hopefully)
In fact I’d be happy to just have the NHTSA avoid being dismantled in the next 4 years
NewNewAccount@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Just how California had laws that effectively forced automakers to make nationwide changes, Europe can still mandate this and it may end up here regardless.
Cethin@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
Mid-terms are in 2 years!
NHTSA is part of the executive, so he would still have control over it, but we can at least hopefully place restrictions on his power (or impeach) in 2, assuming the election still happens and the results are accepted.
Comment105@lemm.ee 1 day ago
In general, this isn’t exactly a safety conscious administration in those terms.
Prepare to see a lot more products with serious safety issues coast by disinterested regulators and become popular with your friends and family. Peppering your life with a little extra spice.
EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 1 day ago
I really just want a regular car with an EV power train. Don’t to change a bunch of shit on the car, unless it is germane to its function as an EV. Things like doors, instrument clusters, turn signals, infotainment, HVAC controls, shifting (e.g. park, reverse, drive) should be the same as any other vehicle.
mm_maybe@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
You want an e-Golf, which was a beautifully stupid, half-hearted implementation of an EV by Volkswagen, who because they really didn’t want to do it, spent almost nothing on redesign, and in the process creating a ridiculously fun vehicle to drive with sporty handling and high torque at low speed, but nothing else changed from the classic Golf design. Door handles, freaking dials on the dashboard, manual climate and audio controls. Sadly, it isn’t being made anymore. We’ve outgrown ours and it’s time for me to let someone else enjoy the experience (especially with the Biden used EV sales incentives going away soon) but my daughter loves it so much that I’m dreading the tantrum that I know will come when I sell it.
mephiska@lemmy.world 2 days ago
The model Y has mechanical emergency door openers in the front. Not in the rear. It complains about possibly breaking window trim when you use them.
They are not super obvious though and you’d have to know in an emergency.
ch00f@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Yeah the releases in the 3 and Y aren’t too bad. Most people use them by mistake once or twice (and get the warning about window trim).
The X however is unforgivable. You have to pop off the speaker grills to get to them and then the door also weighs a lot and has to be manually lifted upwards.
halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Same with the Model 3.
I have to disagree with them not being obvious however. Nearly every new person in my Model 3 goes to grab the emergency release immediately. I even added vinyl door open stickers next to the button to make it more obvious and it still happens almost every time.
vxx@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Most manufacturers use the door handle to override the electronic system. Like pulling twice or harder than usual.
Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 1 day ago
That’s fine then. We’re relearning why all cars with manual transmissions have the same foot pedal and shift pattern arrangement. It’s so in a panic situation, people aren’t having to orientate themselves mentally and can just go off of muscle memory to save themselves. I should be shock that Tesla didn’t hire any auto industry veterans that know that, but I’m not. This reeks of software dev shit where every new MBA coming in just has to shake things up and reinvent everything so they can leave their mark.
AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
Rear doors have manual overrides too.
Not simping for Elon, fuck him.
frostysauce@lemmy.world 1 day ago
*Not available on all models
ramenshaman@lemmy.world 1 day ago
The model 3 and Y both back mechanical backups. I suspect the S does too. The back doors on the X definitely don’t, but that’s not the only questionable design decision on the X.
EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 1 day ago
They didn’t want sliding doors because that makes it a minivan. And minivans are “uncool”
HawlSera@lemm.ee 1 day ago
Shouldn’t an electric be programmed to open if it finds itself undergoing powerloss? Isn’t that like a very basic failsafe? One so basic it’s the plot to an indie horror game that wasn’t intended for children but found an audience there anyway?
Ookami38@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
Clearly Tesla opted for the fail-deadly route instead of the fail-safe route.
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 1 day ago
this is why electric locks should NOT be relied on for safety: electric locks MUST default open when something goes wrong, which means that picking them is as easy as making them malfunction or cutting the power.
SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee 1 day ago
What game is that?
Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 1 day ago
Every fucking one of them needs to be recalled.
Auli@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
They have mechanical overrides but look whee some of them are. Have to remove a door panel.
ayyy@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
Some of the cheaper ones skipped the overrides in the back to deliver more value to shareholders.
snekerpimp@lemmy.world 2 days ago
With lord Elon presiding over god king trumps “economy”, I wouldn’t count on that. Adding that safe guard measure would cost him too much.
corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 1 day ago