I'm living proof the Model S is the safest car ever made!

[mep]

What other driver? There was only 1 car involved. Perhaps you misunderstood? It was the MS sig owner that got the loaner...

Sorry, that is what I meant with "this driver", the MS Sig owner of the MS on fire as supposed to the MS owner who was in the crash reported in this thread.

- - - Updated - - -

mep, which story is that? You should send the author a link to this story and how the car fire guy isn't the only one getting a loaner.

I believe I meant the following story:

http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/04/tesla-model-s-battery-fire-musk-response/

There are so many stories out there. I am having a hard time finding it. Don't you think the last bit would suggest that the writer believes that the Seattle MS owner received a loaner because this case is so highly publicized? Why else would this be a spoiler alert? Maybe I am reading it wrong.


"There's even an email thread between the affected owner and Tesla's VP of sales and service at the source, too. Spoiler alert: The company offered the owner a white loaner model for the interim."

 

[Kraken]

I'd agree it sounds like that. The comments on that article are the most negative of any article I've read. Dang. Most others had been more open to it showing how great the car is.... Evidently Engadget readers arent as friendly to tesla.

 

[GasDoc]

Well, maybe they are able to pump out loaners a little quicker now. Back in may I remember people were struggling to get loaners for any reason. I can't remember, did they help expedite your new car? I remember seeing it at teslive in early July. It was beautiful. Clearly now they are doing a similar favor here to a similar accident as yours, so the car fire isn't getting special treatment at this point in time.

I wouldn't say that they expedited a car for me. I had the opportunity to browse the list of loaner cars to find one similar in configuration to my original. Was "forced" to get an 85P vs my original 60kwh if I didn't want to wait two months.

 

[martinwinlow]

I wonder how many drivers always check that there isn't some loon (cell phone users are the worst!) running a red light and about to spoil your day *every* time you approach a green light? I suppose only those who have had an accident or a near miss. Next time you are waiting at a red light, watch the drivers approaching on green and see how many bother to look.

To trust your life to either a light bulb filament or some of the crazy drivers you get using any intersection is taking a belief in 'fate' a bit far in my view.

Start doing it today (if you don't already) and get into the habit of always doing it.

 

[David_Cary]

I hate to be this way but the accident looks pretty minor. I mean let's not go overboard with "Model S saved my life". The other car's windshield didn't break either and it was an older compact car. It probably weighed 1/2 what the Model S weighs.

Sure the other driver might have went to the hospital but is unlikely to have had any injuries other than airbag face abrasions - which always look dramatic but do nothing.

Both cars had crumple zones that work as planned and make accidents look really dramatic.

Now if the Model S had been hit at the driver door and the story was the same, this would be worth something.

The battery fire issue created a ridiculous article on Seeking Alpha. The car is very safe. I just want to point out these pictures don't really show an accident that proves the vehicle is very safe.

 

[Yggdrasill]

I agree that we haven't seen what the Model S can do yet. We'll just have to wait and see how the Model S handles a small overlap head-on collision at 70 mph with an SUV. (Or something similar.) Most probably the Model S would handle it quite well, but until we actually have such an incident there are no real-world incidents to really silence the nay-sayers.

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

.../ We'll just have to wait and see how the Model S handles a small overlap head-on collision at 70 mph with an SUV. (Or something similar.) /.../ until we actually have such an incident there are no real-world incidents to really silence the nay-sayers.

In this accident with a Honda Accord the two people in the Honda died. And the crumple zone on the S seems to be gone. Doesn’t that count like such a real world incident?

Accident occurred Tuesday 4/2/2013 around 6:40am on Laguna Canyon Road between El Toro Road and State Route 73 in Laguna Beach, California. Head on collision between a Honda Accord and a Tesla Model S. The two occupants of the Honda were killed. The lone occupant of the Tesla sustained minor injuries.

Head-on collision in Laguna Beach kills 2, closes road - latimes.com

There was a third car involved, a Mercedes. "The two cars were supposedly passing the light at El Toro going north where the road has two northbound lanes for a couple hundred feet before the right lane is supposed to merge into the left lane. They took off and it sounds like the Telsa and Mercedes both wanted to not allow each other to merge into the left lane with the Tesla possibly then driving in the center divider area for another few hundred feet before the center divider ends and forced him into the on coming lane."
Please help keep this summary up-to-date and accurate as we learn more.

[Source: Tesla head on collision with a Honda]

/.../

[The front of the Model S:]

Image credit: Unknown.

Image credit: Unknown.

Source: Tesla head on collision with a Honda (Some pictures in post #159.) /...

 

[Yggdrasill]

It is of course the most extreme incident yet - but as the naysayers repeatedly point out, it was a really old car weighing little more than half of what the Model S does. We need an incident where you have a modern, heavy SUV is involved in a similar incident with a Model S.

Or better yet, a 2013 BMW M5, where all the occupants are killed in the M5 while the occupants of the Model S walk away with minor bruises. (Not that I'm hoping something like that would happen, but that's what it would take to shut up the naysayers.)

 

[jthompson]

Thanks to all for sharing their pictures and stories of how there Model S fared in an accident. Makes us all thankful we have this car!!

 

[EdA]

How about a telephone pole and a Model S...

 

[vfx]

I suspect you are underestimating the amount of carnage on our highways. I'm sure all vehicles have similar collision rates.

Yeah, if you spend time on other car forums this does not see unusual at all.

 

[arondaniel]

WRT the MS being a crash magnet, I've been keeping an eye on one part of MS driving that has me worried. This point has nothing to do with this particular accident but I am continually worried that I have a habit of being the first one into the intersection after the light turns green. MS just lends itself to hovering the foot over the accelerator (creep off) and moving the instant you press the accelerator. There are none of the inherent delays of ICE which means your the first one in the intersection to meet up with anyone running the light. Again, there is no indication that this occurred here. I'm just pointing it out as one of my concerns WRT my own driving.

Great point. Sometimes it's not good to be the first car into the intersection.

 

[Takumi]

I hate to be this way but the accident looks pretty minor. I mean let's not go overboard with "Model S saved my life". The other car's windshield didn't break either and it was an older compact car. It probably weighed 1/2 what the Model S weighs.

Sure the other driver might have went to the hospital but is unlikely to have had any injuries other than airbag face abrasions - which always look dramatic but do nothing.

Both cars had crumple zones that work as planned and make accidents look really dramatic.

Now if the Model S had been hit at the driver door and the story was the same, this would be worth something.

The battery fire issue created a ridiculous article on Seeking Alpha. The car is very safe. I just want to point out these pictures don't really show an accident that proves the vehicle is very safe.

"Head injuries are one of the most common causes of disability and death in adults. The injury can be as mild as a bump, bruise (contusion), or cut on the head, or can be moderate to severe in nature due to a concussion, deep cut or open wound, fractured skull bone(s), or from internal bleeding and damage to the brain."

Please don't treat head injuries lightly. Too many stories out there of a "slight" bump to the head ending in death.

 

[AnOutsider]

"Head injuries are one of the most common causes of disability and death in adults. The injury can be as mild as a bump, bruise (contusion), or cut on the head, or can be moderate to severe in nature due to a concussion, deep cut or open wound, fractured skull bone(s), or from internal bleeding and damage to the brain."

Please don't treat head injuries lightly. Too many stories out there of a "slight" bump to the head ending in death.

I agree with David (the title of this thread is grossly exaggerated), but you also make a good point. Plenty of stories of small bumps ending later in death due to some unseen damage. I'd always get one checked out.

 

[wycolo]

Sometimes it's not good to be the first car into the intersection. [arondaniel]

Beware of the lane choice not already blocked by dead steel. If you make the unblocked choice, stop to peer down the empty alleyway for the dreaded IBOOH!!

Drive your MS like you were on a motorcycle. :scared:
--

 

[PhilBa]

@Jdovi, glad to hear you are ok.

In the Seattle area, I have noticed what appears to be an increase in running red lights. While I am seeing a significant increase in "tailgaters" (people who try to squeeze through the light as it's turning red), I've also seen an increase in people who just don't see the red. There's an intersection near my fiance's house where it's really bad. It's the first stop light at the end of a freeway and the left turn light cycles after the "freeway green" has changed to red. Left turning traffic crosses 2 lanes of potentially 60 mph traffic. The left turn is also 2 lanes so the left most lane can't see the on-coming traffic very well when the right one starts turning left. I have seen several people that just don't see the red and blow through the intersection at full speed. I also saw one near head-on collision. I am extremely wary of this intersection.

 

[yobigd20]

How about a telephone pole and a Model S...

that's already been done by some drunk girl.

http://www.carscoops.com/2013/08/intoxicated-lady-crashes-tesla-model-s.html

 

[EdA]

that's already been done by some drunk girl.

View attachment 32513

Yeah, I was pointing out the severity of the accident and the way the Model S fared.
Although perhaps I should have been more verbose. I'll remember that, I'll try to be more verbose.

 

[GasDoc]

I'll remember that, I'll try to be more verbose.

Aren't you redundantly saying again what you just said before, over and over; just like you just said? :biggrin:

 

[EvERES22]

I'm very glad that you are OK. Thank you very much for sharing this story -- I'm in complete agreement with you... the Model S is the safest commercial vehicle on the road today.