Could Tesla crash fatality be due to "sudden braking"?

[mangrove79]

Like everyone else has pointed out already, this story just has so many head-scratchers. Things just don't add up or make sense, at least until the investigation finds that plausible explanation.

1. PB doesn't take you from 70+ mph to zero unless someone gives me an example of this happening. AP might if the driver is not responding to visual and audio prompts. Even if AP disengaged due to driver not responding, it doesn't slam the brakes but rather coast to a stop.
2. Driver in the front car killed. It's almost always the following car(s) driver that gets shafted in this type of accident, but they were uninjured. Not just they didn't die, but they didn't suffer any injuries at all. Either they were both driving 80's Volvos or the collisions weren't too violent.
3. There is a passenger. It's unlikely both the driver and passenger fell asleep, so that kinda rules out the driver falling asleep. Of course, it could happen if the passenger was completely distracted.
4. The driver is 74 years old. Not significant by itself, but with the other observations I wonder if health issues could've played a role.

 

[Dangerous Fish]

There is no hard evidence to suggest TACC/Autopilot/FSD or any driver aid had anything to do with the car stopping.
It's the same old story with anything Tesla related and the press.

I Googled "fatal accident site:Insider"
5 out of the top 6 stories are about Tesla. Says it all.

 

[sleepydoc]

@DeepFrz - I was referring to the varying definitions of the term 'phantom braking.' Not sure why you think I'm denying it - I've experienced it myself. From personal experience, though, the accelerator will override it so if the car came to a complete stop there was something else going on with either the driver or the car.

 

[sleepydoc]

There is no hard evidence to suggest TACC/Autopilot/FSD or any driver aid had anything to do with the car stopping.
It's the same old story with anything Tesla related and the press.

I Googled "fatal accident site:Insider"
5 out of the top 6 stories are about Tesla. Says it all.

well, that and the fact that Tesla (among other companies) just had a NHTSA investigation opened for phantom braking.

 

[DeepFrz]

There is no hard evidence to suggest TACC/Autopilot/FSD or any driver aid had anything to do with the car stopping.
It's the same old story with anything Tesla related and the press.

I Googled "fatal accident site:Insider"
5 out of the top 6 stories are about Tesla. Says it all.

Actually says nothing. As I said earlier the collective we know nothing of the circumstances leading to this accident so why not wait instead of speculating or wringing your hands in futile gestures?

 

[sleepydoc]

According to this report the car had a "a mechanical issue caused the vehicle to lose power and stop"

 

[DeepFrz]

Hahahaha, fox.

 

[Mattemsmy]

Wow I wonder if the driver got out of the car? It doesn’t say. Maybe a motor failure like was stated earlier. I sure hope they don’t take away the auto pilot.

 

[BreatheEasier]

If it was a motor failure, it would be good to know if this was a RWD vs. AWD version, as Elon claimed that AWD Teslas could lose a motor and continue on. Also, if it was a motor failure, the media will probably claim that Tesla is the only manufacturer that ever has any kind of mechanical issue that would cause a vehicle stoppage on a highway...

 

[Pricedm]

According to this report the car had a "a mechanical issue caused the vehicle to lose power and stop"

No surprise how subsequent quotes introduce inaccuracies. Here's the original version:

"At first, the Independence Police Department speculated that a mechanical issue caused the Tesla to lose power, but officials are now saying they are unsure what made the vehicle stop unexpectedly, Jack Taylor, a spokesperson for the department, told Insider. Taylor said investigators plan to extract data from the Tesla's computers in the coming days to better piece together what happened."

Full post from @ThomasD Emergency braking error or driver error

 

[riles246]

After driving a Model Y last week that experienced a strong phantom brake, I can say- I'm not surprised. I'm just so freaking livid about how dangerous the problem is, and just flabbergasted that it is so widespread yet totally ignored.

 

[SilentWarp]

One dead, one thousand saved, ten thousand scared shitless. 1st world problem.