Model X in fatal wrong way driver crash today in Phoenix?

[FlatSix911]

Somewhat de-bunking bigger is better. In most two vehicle crashes yes. Single vehicle not as much. Of course with the Tesla, we can rule out their statistics regarding roll over and have your vehicles. I have a research this a lot, but I remember reading somewhere, this is probably not the best article.
Myth Busted – Larger, Heavier Vehicles Are Not Necessarily Safer

Interesting article and data. Tesla has two safety advantages here... Significant mass and a low center of gravity

Are big heavy vehicles safer in all the ways we find to crash? No. In fact, the larger, taller ones tip over a lot more often than the lower, lighter ones. Rollover deaths account for 11% of vehicle deaths for car passengers. SUV deaths were 27% rollovers. This is an important equalizer in the vehicle size and safety consideration. Not crashing is a big part of not dying in a vehicle crash, and vehicles that find themselves upside down are not safe vehicles.

 

[brucet999]

Interesting article and data. Tesla has two safety advantages here... Significant mass and a low center of gravity

Are big heavy vehicles safer in all the ways we find to crash? No. In fact, the larger, taller ones tip over a lot more often than the lower, lighter ones. Rollover deaths account for 11% of vehicle deaths for car passengers. SUV deaths were 27% rollovers. This is an important equalizer in the vehicle size and safety consideration. Not crashing is a big part of not dying in a vehicle crash, and vehicles that find themselves upside down are not safe vehicles.

Thanks for posting this. Has anyone analyzed the data to see why the "large cars" category violates the cars trend line?

 

[FlyF4]

I have had wrong way drivers in my lane two time in my driving career. Once on a four lane divided highway and once on an interstate.

Gee, where did that happen? In my life so far, I have driven about 800,000 miles and never see a wrong way driver.

 

[jerry33]

Gee, where did that happen? In my life so far, I have driven about 800,000 miles and never see a wrong way driver.

You've been very lucky or never drive late at night. It's not as if I see them every week, but I certainly have seen several.

 

[jelloslug]

Gee, where did that happen? In my life so far, I have driven about 800,000 miles and never see a wrong way driver.

Once on a divided highway, an old man turn left from a side road and rather than crossing and getting in the correct lane he turned into oncoming traffic. The other incident was on an expressway, an old man with dementia got on the expressway going the wrong direction. It was dusk and I was able to see his headlight and move out of the inside lane.

 

[AudubonB]

Another update
As some back-and-forth subsequent to my 5 Aug post #99 demonstrates, I have been extremely reticent to assert the at-fault driver did or did not have his headlights on. To me, one driver saying he saw nothing is not enough to go on to make such a claim.

Today I did obtain very strong corroborative material to demonstrate that, as MP3Mike and others were suggesting, they indeed were not on.

 

[MP3Mike]

@AudubonB Thanks for the update.

I'm curious, what puts you in a position to find out so much about this accident?

 

[GoTslaGo]

@AudubonB Thanks for the update.

I'm curious, what puts you in a position to find out so much about this accident?

He... "Da Man"

 

[BluestarE3]

You've been very lucky or never drive late at night. It's not as if I see them every week, but I certainly have seen several.

I've encountered three incidents of wrong way drivers but, luckily, these were all on city streets so traffic was only going 35-40 mph and there was enough time for drivers to react and avoid collisions. Only one incident occurred while it was dark (pre-dawn); the other two were in broad daylight.

 

[buttershrimp]

I've encountered three incidents of wrong way drivers but, luckily, these were all on city streets so traffic was only going 35-40 mph and there was enough time for drivers to react and avoid collisions. Only one incident occurred while it was dark (pre-dawn); the other two were in broad daylight.

Seems best to always try to avoid driving at night and also to avoid driving in the rain if possible. If you can't avoid it, try to stay in the right lane and drive slower. It is such a sad story all the way around and all too common.

 

[animorph]

The AZ101 is well lit. Easy enough to drive it without lights on at night, especially if your not perceptive enough to notice you're on the wrong side.

And it was reported as a front offset crash, though we couldn't necessarily say it was exactly matching the official offset tests:

"According to DPS, Beazer's vehicle and the victim's car struck each other on the front driver side of each vehicle."

Wrong-way driver dead in L-101 crash in Scottsdale

 

[buttershrimp]

The AZ101 is well lit. Easy enough to drive it without lights on at night, especially if your not perceptive enough to notice you're on the wrong side.

And it was reported as a front offset crash, though we couldn't necessarily say it was exactly matching the official offset tests:

"According to DPS, Beazer's vehicle and the victim's car struck each other on the front driver side of each vehicle."

Wrong-way driver dead in L-101 crash in Scottsdale

Statistically better to avoid rain and night if possible, even if the road is well lit... but I know this isn't always the case... a crowded road can be more dangerous in the middle of the day, which is why many of us like to drive at night. I'm always amazed at how many people forget to turn their lights on at dusk, especially where there is lighting and other vehicles with lights.... I think Canada has it right... make DRLs mandatory ... it will be interesting to see how road fatalities improve with the rise of autonomous driving.

 

[jerry33]

Statistically better to avoid rain and night if possible, even if the road is well lit... but I know this isn't always the case... a crowded road can be more dangerous in the middle of the day, which is why many of us like to drive at night. I'm always amazed at how many people forget to turn their lights on at dusk, especially where there is lighting and other vehicles with lights.... I think Canada has it right... make DRLs mandatory ... it will be interesting to see how road fatalities improve with the rise of autonomous driving.

DRLs are much better now, but for most of the time DRLs were just the headlights on low power or secondary lights on low power so folks thought that they had their lights on.

 

[AudubonB]

@AudubonB Thanks for the update.

I'm curious, what puts you in a position to find out so much about this accident?

Ummm....¿Because I'm not in Alaska at the moment?

 

[Doug_G]

Reflectors don't work in all states. In CO, snowplows would simply remove them many times per year.

There are versions that are designed to retract into the pavement when hit, but they are more expensive.

 

[jackbowers]

The probabilty of hitting an EV on HOV lane is higher, and it might be possible to assume it is a free lane when there are less cars. Very sad occurrence.

I understand Tesla was going right way, but I wonder if Tesla would give a warning if it was going wrong way?

It might do more than that. A few months ago on I-90 near Spokane, I made a freeway "U-turn" on an unofficial gravel turnaround road to avoid congestion. The car compass got confused by a steep grade followed by a sharp 120-degree turn to the left onto the left-hand shoulder. In the seconds that followed, the car refused to accelerate (even with the pedal pushed to the floor) when I attempted to merge back into traffic. After the car compass caught up with the car's actual orientation, I took my foot all the way off the accelerator, stomped back on it, and that time the car took off. This might mean that when the navigation system suspects you are trying to drive the wrong way on a freeway, the drivetrain then tries to make it very difficult for you to actually do so.

 

[Saghost]

It might do more than that. A few months ago on I-90 near Spokane, I made a freeway "U-turn" on an unofficial gravel turnaround road to avoid congestion. The car compass got confused by a steep grade followed by a sharp 120-degree turn to the left onto the left-hand shoulder. In the seconds that followed, the car refused to accelerate (even with the pedal pushed to the floor) when I attempted to merge back into traffic. After the car compass caught up with the car's actual orientation, I took my foot all the way off the accelerator, stomped back on it, and that time the car took off. This might mean that when the navigation system suspects you are trying to drive the wrong way on a freeway, the drivetrain then tries to make it very difficult for you to actually do so.

Interesting. No warning tones, no message on the display?

We've had some discussions on the AP threads that suggest that Tesla is doing high precision lane mapping, so it likely knows the difference between the two sides of the highway.

The only time I've ever had the car refuse to accelerate, it gave a loud tone and a message "obstacle detected" - I was coming off of a red light and I guess the sensors got confused - it had been showing something on ultrasound while I was stopped at the light, possibly a pavement crack? Like with your case, I got completely off the accelerator and back on and it worked normally.

 

[gjunky]

It might do more than that. A few months ago on I-90 near Spokane, I made a freeway "U-turn" on an unofficial gravel turnaround road to avoid congestion. The car compass got confused by a steep grade followed by a sharp 120-degree turn to the left onto the left-hand shoulder. In the seconds that followed, the car refused to accelerate (even with the pedal pushed to the floor) when I attempted to merge back into traffic. After the car compass caught up with the car's actual orientation, I took my foot all the way off the accelerator, stomped back on it, and that time the car took off. This might mean that when the navigation system suspects you are trying to drive the wrong way on a freeway, the drivetrain then tries to make it very difficult for you to actually do so.

I suspect it saw the steep embankment as an obstacle in front of the car. I had the car beep at me before on a very steep drive way as I was trying to enter the street. It might be related but would have expected for you to get some kind of warning
I doubt it was related to some kind of wrong way warning / prevention.

 

[CarosDreamCar]

The destroyed car looks like it hit a Tank.

 

[TEG]

Surveillance video shows driver in Phoenix wrong way crash

Here's what ADOT is doing to stop wrong-way drivers in Arizona