CA DMV failing Tesla car for behind the wheel drive test

[RainMeister]

The examiner is probably just pissed off that he and his colleagues will be out of a job once Musk perfects full auto pilot mode.

Back in the '70s when I took my driving test, the examiner knocked off some points for "aggressive cornering" when I showed off my heel-and-toe downshifting technique. I still passed, but you learn young that you can never win with these idiotcrats.

 

[wraithfive]

Woah there. Im sure they can get another car or rent one to pass and be on there way. Give people a little slack who are following constantly changing rules and regs. It sucks, im sure its the most devastating to the young driver, but there is value in learning brake application especially at high speeds and emergency situations.

Hahahaha.....I'm usually the last to jump to legal remedies when being polite will work. But they can't make up their own rules. Well they can, because they know no one will do anything because the only way to hold them accountable, if their supervisors and managers don't, which they didn't in this case, is to sue. But only if you have the means to spend the money on it and lose and not be financially damaged in a major way. It's not worth that.

 

[bo3bdar]

Random snarky thought based on hearing about V9 releasing to testers-

How would this driving inspector from the DMV rate a car running V9 FSD? Pass or fail? Where is my YouTube tester for this?

 

[Merrill]

What will DMV do when there are only electric cars, that organization is a mess hate to have to go there with such incompetent people you have to deal with.

 

[Ptheven]

Random snarky thought based on hearing about V9 releasing to testers-

How would this driving inspector from the DMV rate a car running V9 FSD? Pass or fail? Where is my YouTube tester for this?

Fail, miserably.

 

[RayK]

I'm no fan of some DMV employees (see here for the story I alluded to earlier in this thread) but until there's an overwhelming majority of EV/PHEV vehicles on the road, DMV examiners should continue to evaluate all drivers (new and old) on their competency with using the friction brakes (what this thread is basically about), instead of relying on one-pedal-driving. Demonstrating how to reliably, safely and comfortably bring a two-ton death missile to a stop is just one of the basic skills needed to be qualified to drive any vehicle on the public roads. That goes along with being able to both steer the car accurately and using the throttle smoothly, all without causing property damage and personal injury or death.

So yeah, takes steps to minimize regen as outlined earlier (regen low if possible, full charge, creep mode on, etc.). When coming to a stop, ease off/feather the accelerator and then cover the brake pedal just when the car is about to stop. Keep the (right) foot on the brake pedal at the stop light / sign.

USAFacts.org says that in 2019, about 2% of new vehicle sales were plug-in electric. I think it's going to take numbers much, much more than that before the DMV changes their driving criteria.

ref: How many electric cars are on the road in the United States?

 

[CyberGus]

...DMV examiners should continue to evaluate all drivers (new and old) on their competency with using the friction brakes

Bollocks. There are all manner of vehicles that everyone should be competent to operate, but you only bring 1 car with you to the driving test. If that car is legal to drive on public streets, then the evaluation should be based on the functionalty of that particular vehicle.

That said, "The Beast" (i.e. a large bureaucracy) must be fed. So you can feed The Beast and get what you want, or you can stand on principle and be ravaged by The Beast. I've found life more enjoyable when I do the former.

 

[Tam]

...If that car is legal to drive on public streets, then the evaluation should be based on the functionalty of that particular vehicle....

Agree!

When a car is street legal, DMV can complain to government agencies that approve those cars and it should not single-handedly overrule those agencies.

 

[T-Mom]

I saw people mention charging to 100% to get regenerative breaking to turn off before the test, but this is just a hack. I wish the DMV or Tesla would have stated that Tesla's can't be used.

In my S, I would just turn it off if son is taking a test without need to charge to 100% which by the time he drives to DMV regen will be working again anyway.

 

[Brando]

By this logic, should we fail someone that drives an automatic ICE vehicle because he/she didn't get tested on an ICE vehicle that has a manual transmission? It doesn't make any sense.

Obviously the DMV has failed, as people keep dying and can't seem to drive. We should fire them all or perhaps sue them all?
It is a great example of how helpful the government can be.

 

[CyberGus]

It is a great example of how helpful the government can be.

Democracy is the worst form of government. Except for all the rest.
- Winston Churchill

 

[ZZ_KITT]

Having a teenage daughter, I can certainly understand this would be upsetting to her and family. Sorry to hear this.

I think it may have been useful to ask for a supervisor; per CA DMV policy a supervisor would have been able to address the procedures for the test, which clearly the employee was not capable of doing.

I also think our children need to learn how to drive a stick shift and learn how to control a vehicle using clutch and brake, including hand brake. I had to explain to my children many years ago, we used to place chock blocks on cars in San Francisco so they would not roll down, or at least turn the wheel to the curb (which btw is STILL IN THE DMV TEST today). Too often we are relying on automation and computers (FSD), and I think these skills would come in handy in their future on how to drive cars. While its no surprise that less than 5% of ICE vehicles sold in U.S. are stick shift, the skill required would make them better drivers.

I personally learned on my Father's 1980 Toyota; manual steering, manual brake, 4-speed. Never forget these skills now.

 

[israndy]

Wait! You don't turn the wheel when parked on a hill?

 

[Tam]

...I also think our children need to learn how to drive a stick shift...less than 5% of ICE vehicles sold in U.S. are stick shift...

Does that mean 95% of CA DMV driving testers flunk?

 

[ZZ_KITT]

Wait! You don't turn the wheel when parked on a hill?

@Randy Spencer dude....you don't remember this from the DMV written test? CA DMV Driver Handbook

 

[israndy]

@Randy Spencer dude....you don't remember this from the DMV written test? CA DMV Driver Handbook

You wrote: " in San Francisco so they would not roll down [...] at least turn the wheel to the curb (which btw is STILL IN THE DMV TEST today)"

This would seem to imply that you DON'T turn the wheel, so I asked if you don't. Sending me the Driver Handbook only informs me that everyone should, not if you find it funny that it's still on the driver's test.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

You wrote: " in San Francisco so they would not roll down [...] at least turn the wheel to the curb (which btw is STILL IN THE DMV TEST today)"

This would seem to imply that you DON'T turn the wheel, so I asked if you don't. Sending me the Driver Handbook only informs me that everyone should, not if you find it funny that it's still on the driver's test.

We live on a street with a hill. I've noticed that a couple of our neighbors always diligently turn their wheels when parking on the street. Unfortunately, they both point the wheels toward the street whether parking uphill or downhill. Since there's no curb, they should both always be pointing the wheels toward the shoulder.

 

[Ruffles]

Wow. So much hate and vitriol for the DMV person. I doubt they did it because they hate Teslas or the girl taking the test. In their mind, they felt she wasn't ready. Do I think they made the right call? No, but its really not that big a deal. OP's daughter is learning a life lesson that sometimes things happen that you don't agree with. How you respond when this happens helps you grow as a person. If I were the OP, I would have politely discussed my objections and asked if there were any retesting options available on the spot (i.e. use a different car, switch creep on, etc.) and request that they notify people in in the future that EVs are not valid cars to test in. Maybe even ask that because of this would they be willing to give priority to her next appointment so she doesn't have to wait as long. Then, empathize with my daughter that it sucks to fail a drivers license test but we'll find another car and take it again. She'll have a fun story to tell people. I can't believe people would actually sue over this.

 

[Thp3]

Before the test, Set the Model 3 to “chill” mode, make Regenerative braking ”low” and then the DMV examiner won’t get surprised by the Model 3.

Deal with FUD in the DMV, and move on. It’s a “learning” for life for the teenager.

For my child‘s test at the NJ DMV we had to use a car with a manual parking brake. It was part of the test to unlock the parking brake before starting AND setting it when parking at the end.

 

[RayK]

<Rod Serling voice>

"Submitted for your approval. A man caught in the Byzantine grips of the California Department of Motor Vehicles. He assumes his visit to the local DMV office for an obligatory driving test will be without drama. Little does he know that forces beyond his control are moving silently in the background; the final goal is to sabotage his attempt at passing the exam, not once, not twice, but THREE times!. He is all alone, in a bizarre world where human logic and common sense have been supplanted by unthinking automatons. He has fallen into.... The Tesla Zone!"

Tesla driving test hell: How DMV examiners' biases are inhibiting the EV transition

The Professor was looking forward to getting a new US driver’s license. After moving from the East Coast to teach at the University of California, it became pertinent for the 38-year old engineer and scientist to have his own driver’s license again. The coming school year would be different from...

www.teslarati.com

(Apologies to Rod and Carol)