I agree - they should have a row of those to make the lane separation much more apparent. It is almost like they are encouraging people to cut back across at the last moment.
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Model X Crash on US-101 (Mountain View, CA)
- Thread starter mookhead
- Start date
I agree - they should have a row of those to make the lane separation much more apparent. It is almost like they are encouraging people to cut back across at the last moment.
I find my dashcam video clip from 3/15/2018, which is 1 week ago, and made a possible explanation about this crush. I've been driving with both autopilot 1 and autopilot 2.5 on this part of 101 for nearly 2 years, 99% of time it works like charm with low/medium speed, I can only remember once or twice it fooled by tricky light/shadow of the bridge and pingpong around false lane markings.
But considering the crush is happening in the morning and in high speed, I suspect the following clip might provide an possible explanation of this accident, as far as I know Autopilot 1 is very dump against static object on the road.
btw, the bumper is look like this two weeks ago:
But considering the crush is happening in the morning and in high speed, I suspect the following clip might provide an possible explanation of this accident, as far as I know Autopilot 1 is very dump against static object on the road.
btw, the bumper is look like this two weeks ago:
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You know @privater, looking at this frame from your 2-week old footage it looks to me like the barrier was compressed back then, maybe never repaired before this accident. Sort of looks like you can see the metal track exposed that it is suppose to slide on on impact. What do you think?
Compare to TEG's posts about the barrier:
Model X Crash on US-101 (Mountain View, CA)
Model X Crash on US-101 (Mountain View, CA)
From the KTVU Fox livestream broadcast today:
Compare to TEG's posts about the barrier:
Model X Crash on US-101 (Mountain View, CA)
Model X Crash on US-101 (Mountain View, CA)
From the KTVU Fox livestream broadcast today:
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Oh wow. That is bad. If that was still like that (and I have no reason to believe it'd be fixed already), that would make a huge difference to anything that hit that. Again, wow.
At first I thought it might be a SCUBA tank (to go with the swim mask seen nearby), but later realized it is a compressed air tank that goes with the "smart air suspension" in the X.
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Oh wow, yes... That could have made a huge difference if they hadn't "reset" that barrier since the last accident there.
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
A few barrels full of sand could have saved a life 
Tiger
Active Member
When encountering a fire with a lithium-metal battery, only use a Class D fire extinguisher.
I wonder what's the likelihood of autopilot killing you (or you killing yourself with autopilot misuse)? 5/300000?
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Note, they do have the "water/sand barrels" on the far right where the Shoreline onramp can split to either 101 or 85:
The accident site is on the other side of the freeway in the distance on this picture. So they used water/sand-barrels on one side, and that deformable metal box on the far side.
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Yes, didn't really think about the exact dates but yes only 8 days expired between the two. BTW I added a photo from the KTVU Fox livestream in my above post from today in case you haven't looked back in the thread. How would you compare the lengths of the two metal parts and then the track?
That 101 and 85 junction underwent massive construction when I used to work near there between 04 and 09.
IIRC, the nav system on my 06 Prius (still using my original map DVD so the maps were finished sometime in 05 or earlier) has the wrong directions on which side to stay on due to the changes from that construction. I've learned to ignore its directions over there.
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Tin Little
Member
The new 85/101 interchange has always been confusing to me. I drove on them occasionally, maybe 4-5 times a year but still have to rely on navigation, and would make a mistake 1 in 3 times. The freaky thing is that I come down from Shoreline ramp intending to get on 101 south bound but ended up on 85 instead, all the while watching the smoke and firetrucks this (Friday) morning.
So far, potential of causes summarized by forum members are:
1. A corridor lined with solid white confused Autopilot and mistaken for a driving lane
2. Driver last minute jerky move attempting to swirl back to 101
Reasons accident is fatal:
1. High speed driving and thus high speed impact
2. Crumple barrier were previously compressed but not restored
Be careful out there, although Teslas are the safest cars money can buy, doesn't mean us drivers are invincible in them...
So far, potential of causes summarized by forum members are:
1. A corridor lined with solid white confused Autopilot and mistaken for a driving lane
2. Driver last minute jerky move attempting to swirl back to 101
Reasons accident is fatal:
1. High speed driving and thus high speed impact
2. Crumple barrier were previously compressed but not restored
Be careful out there, although Teslas are the safest cars money can buy, doesn't mean us drivers are invincible in them...
In one news report they said the CHP I think said speed wasn't a factor. Maybe they meant excess speed.
Relying on Nav systems can be dangerous if you realize as you are driving they made a mistake and you catch it midstream. I think even the Nav in our car doesn't pick up the HOV left lane On Ramp when you are on 101 NB connecting to 85 NB south of San Jose. That whole interchange was redone a while ago. We usually take the left carpool lane instead of hanging to the right in slower traffic and taking that right On Ramp. Always expecting the system to complain we are going the wrong way. There are areas of San Jose and Campbell that I tend to get lost in and have to rely on the Nav otherwise. You kind of follow blindly if you haven't been in the area and know it well enough.
Relying on Nav systems can be dangerous if you realize as you are driving they made a mistake and you catch it midstream. I think even the Nav in our car doesn't pick up the HOV left lane On Ramp when you are on 101 NB connecting to 85 NB south of San Jose. That whole interchange was redone a while ago. We usually take the left carpool lane instead of hanging to the right in slower traffic and taking that right On Ramp. Always expecting the system to complain we are going the wrong way. There are areas of San Jose and Campbell that I tend to get lost in and have to rely on the Nav otherwise. You kind of follow blindly if you haven't been in the area and know it well enough.
The Dash-Cam footage absolutely looks like it was already compacted on 3/15. The track wouldn't be showing like that if it was reset.
What we don't know (right now) is if someone (Caltrans?) reset/rebuilt it in the last week and the Model X just squished it again, or if the Model X ran into an already used up safety barrier.
Maybe someone else on the forum with dashcam traveled on that part of the highway in the last day or two? I can't imagine having your car hit those rails would be a good thing either.
Robert831
Member
There's a satellite view on google maps that shows it in the original condition. In addition, it looks like there used to be some plastic warning sticks in front of that, because of the series of dots; possible glue residue or bases still in place.
"Attenuator Barrier" / "Crash Cushion" / "Smart Cushion" with sled. There is a cable on the bottom that is supposed to slow the vehicle over the distance of the track/"channel".
But in many of the photos you see it already triggered with the cable dangling...
But in many of the photos you see it already triggered with the cable dangling...
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Those segments "accordion" around the wall when it gets triggered and compressed forward.
So the question is, was it already triggered/compressed before the X hit that wall, or had someone reset it and reconnected the cable to the sled beforehand?
So the question is, was it already triggered/compressed before the X hit that wall, or had someone reset it and reconnected the cable to the sled beforehand?
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Any incident that compresses that barrier would likely result in a report by the CHP, so reviewing recent CHP reports would likely give you the last time a crash occurred here. (Are those all online?)
Not sure what information CALTRANS makes public, but I would assume they'd have records when the barrier was last reset/repaired as well. (Is this information available online?)
I hope one of the local news stations is investigating this. Would be tragic if that attenuation barrier hadn't been reset before the accident.
Recent forum posts and links to news stories note that the driver did survive the accident and was removed from the vehicle by good samaritan(s) when they noticed a fire starting (likely with the batteries), although he was unconscious at the time.
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