TMC is an independent, primarily volunteer organization that relies on ad revenue to cover its operating costs. Please consider whitelisting TMC on your ad blocker and becoming a Supporting Member. For more info: Support TMC
  1. TMC is currently READ ONLY.
    Click here for more info.

Model 3 Accident, Is this car really safe to drive?

Discussion in 'Model 3' started by bigroccrek, Dec 22, 2018.

  1. JeffK

    JeffK Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2016
    Messages:
    6,997
    Location:
    Indianapolis
    @Asicfoo is mistaken... the owner will get the tax credit both times.

    Insurance company doesn't buy the new car.
     
    • Informative x 1
    • Like x 1
  2. wcorey

    wcorey Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2018
    Messages:
    1,641
    Location:
    Killingly, CT
    People drive drunk, wounded, light-headed, on drugs, ambien in all sorts of vehicles. It is NOT the vehicle's fault. People about to have a ruptured appendix get warnings in advance. I deleted that first post as I made reference to facts not in evidence. I still question the spin. Too many people bitch about teslas as they have an negative agenda.
     
  3. JeffK

    JeffK Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2016
    Messages:
    6,997
    Location:
    Indianapolis
    Meh, these warning signs could be mild at first. We don't know that the OP experienced any warning signs out of the ordinary.

    I drive while having nausea, a mild fever, or a lost appetite all the time. Those don't cause me to think anything bad is going to happen. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

    I think, in this case, the Tesla performed fantastically. The combination of the crumple zone plus likely regen itself helped save the day.
     
    • Like x 1
  4. glgador007

    glgador007 Member

    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2017
    Messages:
    19
    Location:
    San Diego
    Correction, I own a Lexus. There is no Lexus Model LS350. It's probably ES350 or IS350. Please double check your source of info. Thank you.
     
  5. JeffK

    JeffK Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2016
    Messages:
    6,997
    Location:
    Indianapolis
  6. NCIC

    NCIC Member

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2013
    Messages:
    22
    Location:
    Longview, Tx
    You are aware that Tesla does not make their own airbags or the triggers that activate them. I'm not sure if Tesla is still using Takata airbags, along with most other car manufacturers, but they did have some huge recalls in the past year: Massive Takata Airbag Recall: Everything You Need to Know | News | Car and Driver

    Unfortunately, you never know you have a defective airbag system until you need it...
     
  7. lglover35

    lglover35 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2016
    Messages:
    9
    Location:
    California
     
  8. chronopc

    chronopc Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2017
    Messages:
    2,873
    Location:
    California
    Do you happen to know which airbags are in the Model 3?
     
  9. lglover35

    lglover35 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2016
    Messages:
    9
    Location:
    California
    Wow you are a very lucky fellow. The cause of your black out must be determined and addressed properly before you ever drive again. It could be a sign of sleep apnea or what some British researchers have dubbed micro burst of sleep. Whatever, it is amazing there is no interior damage indicated and you did not go thru the windshield. Do not risk yourself nor any passengers without correcting this. To be sure Tesla should do a full study of this, but your greatest concern should be your medical issue.
     
    • Disagree x 2
  10. Runt8

    Runt8 Active Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2017
    Messages:
    1,986
    Location:
    Colorado
    It's been stated multiple times that he blacked out due to a ruptured appendix. Since he no longer has an appendix, this is a one-time event.
     
    • Like x 3
    • Informative x 1
  11. SigNC

    SigNC Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2017
    Messages:
    1,461
    Location:
    NC
    a little off topic but I just realized one of the benefits of regen braking that i never thought about it you will automatically slow down assuming your foot falls of the accelerator when you pass out.
     
    • Like x 3
  12. RIP->OPEC

    RIP->OPEC Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2018
    Messages:
    155
    Location:
    Maryland
    #112 RIP->OPEC, Dec 28, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2018
    If you haven't already, I would strongly recommend you file a report with NHTSA as soon as possible via e-mail. (That's if they're open and not Shut Down) ( File a Vehicle Safety Complaint | Safercar.gov | NHTSA )

    Then you will get an e-mail response from them as seen in the SAMPLE below, just make sure you follow their instructions. An investigator will call you!

    Or if wish you can call them (1-888-327-4236) please have all pertinent information at the ready.

    Glad you're doing okay!

    NHTSA Link: Contact Us



    ______________________________________________________________________
    On Jul 20, 2018, at 1:09 AM, US DOT NHTSA <[email protected]> wrote:

    Thank you for filing your safety-related complaint via our Web site or our Vehicle Safety Hotline. The ODI Number listed below will be a direct link to your complaint as soon as it is ready to view. Please allow at least two business days for approval and processing before trying to view your complaint online. You will then be able to view it and search any associated documents.

    Your Confirmation number (ODI Number) is: XXXXXXX

    Your complaint information will be entered into the NHTSA vehicle owner complaint database. NHTSA technical staff review this information to identify potential safety problems. While you may or may not be contacted by a NHTSA investigator to clarify the information submitted, all reports are reviewed and analyzed for potential defects trends. Also, the NHTSA complaint database provides valuable information to other consumers and to manufacturers.

    If you have any questions regarding this complaint, please contact ODI:

    • By phone: 1-888-327-4236 8:00AM to 10:00PM Monday-Friday
      TTY: 1-888-424-9153
      Have your ODI Number available.
      (Spanish-speaking operators available)

    • By e-mail:
      Indicate your ODI Number in the contact form.
    Thank you,

    Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
    National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
    U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

    To find out more about NHTSA, please go to the Safercar.gov Web site or call our Vehicle Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236.
    Our Privacy Policy can be found at this Web page.

    This is a system-generated e-mail. Do NOT respond to the sender of this e-mail.
    ______________________________________________________________________
     

    Attached Files:

    • Disagree x 2
  13. devilmountain

    devilmountain Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2018
    Messages:
    294
    Location:
    Walnut Creek
    #113 devilmountain, Dec 28, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2018
    The SUV model. I have never been interested in Toyota products so I am not as familiar with them. I apologize for getting the model wrong. All I can say is that lady was MESSED up in that car.
     
  14. mongo

    mongo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2017
    Messages:
    12,857
    Location:
    Michigan
    Airbags are trigger by the accelerometer in the airbag control module.
    Air Bag Deployment Criteria
    There are no physical crumple sensors. There is no time to wait for major structure deformation...
    The Insane Physics of Airbags
     
    • Helpful x 1
    • Love x 1
  15. robertmanning

    robertmanning Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2018
    Messages:
    143
    Location:
    New York
    I'm glad you're okay. And you have every right to be concerned when it comes to your family being safe. I would definitely consult with a safety expert and then make a decision from there. The important thing now is that you are alive. Be well.
     
  16. Dsans

    Dsans New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 17, 2017
    Messages:
    3
    Location:
    O Fallon, MO
    The car is absolutely safe. Safest cars on the planet. Reality check, you are unsafe. You are very fortunate that no one was hurt as your liability would be astronomical. Reasonable people do. It drive in your stared condition. It is unreasonable to drive cars while under physical duress. The service center probably agreed with you about the airbags because it was just easier and you would go away faster. Your cars supercomputer knows when to deploy the airbags and not some silly human looking at a picture. Significantly more physics at play here. It is more likely than not that you would be dead driving an ICE car and the airbags would be the least of your worries. Rather than complain about the safest car on the planet that CLEARLY saved your life, you should be writing a heartfelt post praising the fact that the car kept you alive. You are coming across as entitled and you are not. If you would have been on autopilot/bought autopilot then the car would have pulled over without incident and you would have likely expired on the side of the road as a car on the shoulder does not trigger a response from authorities. A car wrapped around a pole is a different story. At a minimum you should be mad at your appendix.
     
    • Like x 2
    • Love x 1
  17. NeverFollow

    NeverFollow Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2010
    Messages:
    1,277
    Since an air bag don't always deploy, the most important is to always wear a 3 points seat belt.
     
    • Like x 1
  18. Krakhaus

    Krakhaus Member

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2018
    Messages:
    89
    Location:
    London
     
  19. mongo

    mongo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2017
    Messages:
    12,857
    Location:
    Michigan
    Of course. However, it is interesting, and messes up the observation, that the airbag is more likely to deploy if you aren't wearing your seat belt. Back in the early days before passenger seat sensors, in a accident, the driver's airbag (with seal belt sensor happy) might not go off, but the unoccupied passenger seat without the seat belt latched would have its airbag go off...
     
  20. wcorey

    wcorey Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2018
    Messages:
    1,641
    Location:
    Killingly, CT
    #120 wcorey, Dec 28, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2018
    Yeah, I pretty much agree here. Independent of what car you drive, you should not drive if impaired, it is irresponsible to drive in less than perfect health. At the end of the day the driver is responsible for everything. So now NTSB will investigate, declare it driver error and driver's insurance rates will soar. Acute Appendicitis has warning signs 24-48 hours out. Frankly this sounds to me like "made a bad decision and now I want someone else to take responsibility". It's not the car's fault, it's the driver's. Frankly I have not read about an major accident in a Tesla that was the car's fault. This includes the one with the 18 wheeler, the one in CA with the lane divider. Everyone was inattentive driver. But for those looking for reasons to not get a Tesla, they will cling to this. Shorts looking for a "Voila" will cling to this. To both, I call BS. Even with the imminent impact warning it clearly states the goal is not to stop the car, the goal is to prevent a fatal accident. Imminent Impact braking is on non EAP Teslas as well.

    I call everybody's attention to page 87 in the Model 3 Owners Manual. I am surprised people haven't cited this earlier. So, that raises an important question. How many of you actually have read the manual?
     

Share This Page

  • About Us

    Formed in 2006, Tesla Motors Club (TMC) was the first independent online Tesla community. Today it remains the largest and most dynamic community of Tesla enthusiasts. Learn more.
  • Do you value your experience at TMC? Consider becoming a Supporting Member of Tesla Motors Club. As a thank you for your contribution, you'll get nearly no ads in the Community and Groups sections. Additional perks are available depending on the level of contribution. Please visit the Account Upgrades page for more details.


    SUPPORT TMC