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Got T-Boned

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Got T-Boned today, I'm okay, just really sore. Guy ran a red light and I was turning left. So grateful for the incredible safety features. Airbags seemed to have gone off before impact, I saw it all happen in a flash then next thing I know my arm was really warm and the car full of smoke.

So, ya'll think this is totaled? It's only a couple months old :(

Started the claim in the Tesla app but I was in a daze and didn't get all the photos I needed so I'll have to wait until Monday to get access to the car.

I REALLY hope it recorded it, I was stupid and didn't grab the drive before the tow truck drove off. Car completely lost all power too and even jumping it wouldn't work.
 

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Great that you are safe!.. modern safety design, starting in the mid 80's and really advancing since the late 90's has made survivability and low passenger damage a much higher probability.

As for the car, it's MOST LIKELY going to end up with a determination of TOTALED and frankly I think that is what you want. With what appears to be pretty significant B and C pillar damage I think overall structural torsion of the car and body is going to never be the same.

I don't know enough about how the battery PACK and sled are reenforced and protected for side impact or impacted (no pun intended) by these types of impacts, but I'm going to guess that either Tesla or an auto/body shop isn't going to be able to confidently remedy and CERTIFY for future use.

Even for a relatively NEW car, once repair moves up to ~50% of the replacement value or higher or could take six months or longer and confidence in being back to its "prior state" and be able to re-insure is low, it becomes a write-off.

But you'll learn more once the insurer is engaged. Just a note, if you are in the position for something like this. IF you get a replacement, and made whole, whatever, consider finding out from the insurer what the "salvage value" of the car might be. There are many people who have totaled Tesla who part them out, sell them to auto shops, the battery pack is of HIGH value - might even be to Tesla is some way. There is probably money to be made here if one is willing to put in the time.

Regarding the actual crash: I doubt the airbags deployed "prior to impact". This isn't the way they are designed even side-bags. Airbags are designed to deploy when the impact is felt from an acceleration standpoint that is measured. It's lower (the measured acceleration/impact) in side bags than for front bags, but not by too much. Front bags go off in about 50 m/s... SIDE bags about half that (faster chemical 'explosion', so there really isn't any way for the human eye or body to even recognize or realize it.

Just prior to impact expectation, there IS a lot of pre-conditioning of safety systems that goes on in some of these impact deterrent systems within 100 m/s. Pre-tensioning the belts (possibly), pre-charging the airbag explosive. Priming the fuse so to speak, and some other things depending on manufacture. I'd be interested to see exactly what Tesla has for this just to know.

As for you or your occupants. As much as you sound like you feel okay, I'd be extremely aware of any symptoms that might reveal themselves in the coming days. Cervical spine, hard and soft injuries from front and side impact can take days and sometimes weeks to present but can also take months and years to heal sometimes if ever. It's better to get some visibility now vs. later for many reasons.

Just a thought.
 
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Great that you are safe!.. modern safety design, starting in the mid 80's and really advancing since the late 90's has made survivability and low passenger damage a much higher probability.

As for the car, it's MOST LIKELY going to end up with a determination of TOTALED and frankly I think that is what you want. With what appears to be pretty significant B and C pillar damage I think overall structural torsion of the car and body is going to never be the same.

I don't know enough about how the battery PACK and sled are reenforced and protected for side impact or impacted (no pun intended) by these types of impacts, but I'm going to guess that either Tesla or an auto/body shop isn't going to be able to confidently remedy and CERTIFY for future use.

Even for a relatively NEW car, once repair moves up to ~50% of the replacement value or higher or could take six months or longer and confidence in being back to its "prior state" and be able to re-insure is low, it becomes a write-off.

But you'll learn more once the insurer is engaged. Just a note, if you are in the position for something like this. IF you get a replacement, and made whole, whatever, consider finding out from the insurer what the "salvage value" of the car might be. There are many people who have totaled Tesla who part them out, sell them to auto shops, the battery pack is of HIGH value - might even be to Tesla is some way. There is probably money to be made here if one is willing to put in the time.

Regarding the actual crash: I doubt the airbags deployed "prior to impact". This isn't the way they are designed even side-bags. Airbags are designed to deploy when the impact is felt from an acceleration standpoint that is measured. It's lower (the measured acceleration/impact) in side bags than for front bags, but not by too much. Front bags go off in about 50 m/s... SIDE bags about half that (faster chemical 'explosion', so there really isn't any way for the human eye or body to even recognize or realize it.

Just prior to impact expectation, there IS a lot of pre-conditioning of safety systems that goes on in some of these impact deterrent systems within 100 m/s. Pre-tensioning the belts (possibly), pre-charging the airbag explosive. Priming the fuse so to speak, and some other things depending on manufacture. I'd be interested to see exactly what Tesla has for this just to know.

As for you or your occupants. As much as you sound like you feel okay, I'd be extremely aware of any symptoms that might reveal themselves in the coming days. Cervical spine, hard and soft injuries from front and side impact can take days and sometimes weeks to present but can also take months and years to heal sometimes if ever. It's better to get some visibility now vs. later for many reasons.

Just a thought.

Yeah I think the car shorted out as the electronics are completely dead. Woke up feeling a little better but sleep was rough. Passenger has a sore neck. Definitely will get checked out if anything pops up.

Interesting note about salvage price, like the whole right side of the car looks fine so there’s definitely parts that can be used and really I’d love to see it get parted out. So wasteful otherwise.

I know it’s totaled cop and tow even said as much, we joked about it.
 
Very sorry to see that. I'm making NO assumptions about your driving, but seeing situations like yours and having seen some of the post-accident Tesla videos that greentheonly posts on Twitter, I've gotten super cautious at green lights. I'm sure I piss people behind me off for not getting going soon enough. It's sad that it's come to that. Good luck, recover soon!
 
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Very sorry to see that. I'm making NO assumptions about your driving, but seeing situations like yours and having seen some of the post-accident Tesla videos that greentheonly posts on Twitter, I've gotten super cautious at green lights. I'm sure I piss people behind me off for not getting going soon enough. It's sad that it's come to that. Good luck, recover soon!
Exactly! I’ve had too many close calls being in socal that I wait a beat or two. But at the time the straight lane that car came from should have been fully stopped since it was a turn cycle. This intersection just notoriously bad. Accidents every week.
 
This type of accident is VERY concerning for me as I’ve had FSDb pull into the intersection (or at least try to before I stopped it) while AT a red light facing my car.. this is exactly the type of situation I’ve been able to AVOID by being hyper vigilant while testing FSDb And not letting the car put it/me in exactly this situation.
 
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This type of accident is VERY concerning for me as I’ve had FSDb pull into the intersection (or at least try to before I stopped it) while AT a red light facing my car.. this is exactly the type of situation I’ve been able to AVOID by being hyper vigilant while testing FSDb And not letting the cat put it/me in exactly this situation.
I think FSD would have prevented an accident here but not for anything other than it being nervous. The left turn lane I was in is a dedicated turn but the light it at an arrow and it confuses everyone around here. Back when I had FSD on my Y it wouldn’t go into this intersection unless I nudged it.
 
Exactly! I’ve had too many close calls being in socal that I wait a beat or two. But at the time the straight lane that car came from should have been fully stopped since it was a turn cycle. This intersection just notoriously bad. Accidents every week.
I get it. I watched a greentheonly video on Twitter last week: the lateness and speed with which the offending driver came through the intersection has definitely affected my math on waiting after the light turns green. Does make me wonder if that kind of thing can be adjusted (?) in FSD. Good luck!
 
Just got back from the tow yard and wasn't able to get into the frunk or trunk to get anything. Nothing would release and I couldn't squeeze into the back to try the emergency latch (if there even is one in the S, there has to be right?)

Here's some more pics of the damage for those interested.
And the footage survived, I'll get that posted here in a bit
 

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Here's the video

It’s a little hard to tell, but was there no B pillar cam recording? (I guess IS there a B pillar recording in general)… the actual impact doesn’t seem to be too much speed (I’d put it over 10 and most likely under 20), but you’re lucky it wasn’t A/B pillar targeting and was more B/C pillar impact. A bit more throttle would have made the impact less severe and reduce risk for left side occupants, but that’s a move an F1 driver or Fighter pilot might execute and I doubt even FSD will ever be able to pull off.

As a great man once said ”any crash you can walk away from”..

Send some $$ to your favorite charity. ;-)
 
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It’s a little hard to tell, but was there no B pillar cam recording? (I guess IS there a B pillar recording in general)… the actual impact doesn’t seem to be too much speed (I’d put it over 10 and most likely under 20), but you’re lucky it wasn’t A/B pillar targeting and was more B/C pillar impact. A bit more throttle would have made the impact less severe and reduce risk for left side occupants, but that’s a move an F1 driver or Fighter pilot might execute and I doubt even FSD will ever be able to pull off.

As a great man once said ”any crash you can walk away from”..

Send some $$ to your favorite charity. ;-)
No B pillar avail, I wish they allowed you to record that. Would be cool if the car was able to even use the side from impact if it knew.
 
No B pillar avail, I wish they allowed you to record that. Would be cool if the car was able to even use the side from impact if it knew.
Wow, Tesla insurance needs to get on that right quick! It’s pretty hard to dispute video.

It would seem you had either the wherewith all to hit RECORD DASH CAMS, or that is the last recorded cam video. If you had FSDb. I would think that the in dash Camera button WOULD record all camera history (including driver and pass B pillar cams), so that might have been useful to do.. but of course hard to do in the moment for sure.
 
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Got T-Boned today, I'm okay, just really sore. Guy ran a red light and I was turning left. So grateful for the incredible safety features. Airbags seemed to have gone off before impact, I saw it all happen in a flash then next thing I know my arm was really warm and the car full of smoke.

So, ya'll think this is totaled? It's only a couple months old :(

Started the claim in the Tesla app but I was in a daze and didn't get all the photos I needed so I'll have to wait until Monday to get access to the car.

I REALLY hope it recorded it, I was stupid and didn't grab the drive before the tow truck drove off. Car completely lost all power too and even jumping it wouldn't work.
Dang! That’s crazy. Glad you are fine