Model X with child in drivers seat allegedly injures woman

[Msjulie]

I’d be curious if there has ever been another case of a 2 year old starting a car, putting it into drive, and accelerating. Some of you are acting like the mother is an idiot for not considering this possibility.

Sorry very long ago but my younger sister, maybe 3-4? got into our old station wagon and was able to drag the shift lever from park to neutral and the car rolled down the hill and smacked into a tree. No injuries, it was a slow motion event as I'm told.

My dad of course was pretty upset at my mom as it turned out she had left the door open, parking brake not engaged. The car was not running but taking your eyes off a toddler/youngster even for a couple moments ... you'd think they would have learned as she is the 3rd kid in a family of 4 ..

 

[SammichLover]

Sorry very long ago but my younger sister, maybe 3-4? got into our old station wagon and was able to drag the shift lever from park to neutral and the car rolled down the hill and smacked into a tree. No injuries, it was a slow motion event as I'm told.

My dad of course was pretty upset at my mom as it turned out she had left the door open, parking brake not engaged. The car was not running but taking your eyes off a toddler/youngster even for a couple moments ... you'd think they would have learned as she is the 3rd kid in a family of 4 ..

Having raised four kids through this age range, and worked with a lot of other kids:

I have no doubt that a clever, active, motivated 3 year-old, allowed unsupervised in my car (or an X) with a phone in range and no PIN requirement would be able to move it. Especially if it had the Creep option on, they'd not even have needed to watch someone push the accelerator. For my car I would be entirely unsurprised if they were able to do it with with cardkey only.

They are always watching, always learning. *eerie music*

 

[walla2]

I suppose this same mom has loaded firearms lying around the house, and her next suit will be against a gun manufacturer for making it too easy for her toddler to shoot her.

Sometimes, people need to accept that their decision to leave a child completely unsupervised with access to dangerous things like matches, knives, guns, cars, electrical outlets, medication, hard candy, Drano, doors, mousetraps, ink pens, scissors, q tips, fishing hooks, hammers, pillows, glass, magnets, clothes hangers, rope, etc is a risk and can have potentially bad consequences. Literally everything is dangerous in the wrong hands at the wrong moment even if it has been deemed child safe. There is no such thing. Don't want the risk, don't leave them unsupervised or start early and teach the individual responsibility ... clearly that won't happen if we allow everything to get "fixed" in this lady's very American way of not accepting any responsibility.

 

[Saghost]

Having raised four kids through this age range, and worked with a lot of other kids:

I have no doubt that a clever, active, motivated 3 year-old, allowed unsupervised in my car (or an X) with a phone in range and no PIN requirement would be able to move it. Especially if it had the Creep option on, they'd not even have needed to watch someone push the accelerator. For my car I would be entirely unsurprised if they were able to do it with with cardkey only.

They are always watching, always learning. *eerie music*

One more reason to always plug the car in as soon as you park.

 

[SammichLover]

One more reason to always plug the car in as soon as you park.

They'll eventually figure that out, too. But yeah, it'll take more to move the vehicle and they might not realize it is a requirement. Only do it in mimicry. At the least if you're around the vehicle it will probably be more obvious what's going on.

P.S. A PIN could help, but a bit older and they'll shoulder-surf you.

 

[Nocturnal]

It seems like a user mistake? IT IS user mistake period. Tesla should counter sue for destroying companies image

We don't know that for 100%. So yes, it just seems like a user error.

I’d be curious if there has ever been another case of a 2 year old starting a car, putting it into drive, and accelerating. Some of you are acting like the mother is an idiot for not considering this possibility.

I'm very sure this type of thing has happened many times. Anyone with kids should certainly understand that you don't always foresee what they will do. It doesn't mean she isn't at fault, but calling her an idiot for letting that happen is overly harsh. Now, calling her an idiot for what very much appears to be a frivolous lawsuit is another story.

Edit, I started to search for other cases but kept getting stories about young children being run over and killed and I don't need to see more of that.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Sorry very long ago but my younger sister, maybe 3-4? got into our old station wagon and was able to drag the shift lever from park to neutral and the car rolled down the hill and smacked into a tree. No injuries, it was a slow motion event as I'm told.

My dad of course was pretty upset at my mom as it turned out she had left the door open, parking brake not engaged. The car was not running but taking your eyes off a toddler/youngster even for a couple moments ... you'd think they would have learned as she is the 3rd kid in a family of 4 ..

This is why cars now have safety interlocks that prevent that happening. You cannot shift from park to neutral without the key and your foot on the brake in a modern vehicle.

I'm very sure this type of thing has happened many times.

I guess I'll have to look around for a vehicle that this could happen on. It certainly couldn't happen in any vehicle I've ever owned.

 

[SammichLover]

You cannot shift from park to neutral without the key and your foot on the brake in a modern vehicle.

What's a key, Grandpa?

My current other car doesn't have one. My three prior cars had them as sort of puzzles in the FOB, and at least some of those were door only (I'm not sure about the Camry, off the top of my head). Basically only for use in case of a battery failure.

A 3 year-old that, having seen it being operated several times prior, that can't step on the brake and shift the gear (of an automatic or a Tesla) is kinda a dull kid, to be frank. Lack of motivation and vigilance by surrounding adults are the two main barriers to it happening a lot more often. Ignition button hardly is.

 

[Nocturnal]

This is why cars now have safety interlocks that prevent that happening. You cannot shift from park to neutral without the key and your foot on the brake in a modern vehicle.

I guess I'll have to look around for a vehicle that this could happen on. It certainly couldn't happen in any vehicle I've ever owned.

My last car was not different in that area as it was a wireless key. (Toyota) Brake, shift gas. Just like the tesla. The only difference is that it had a button on the shifter that had to be pressed.

 

[Daniel in SD]

My last car was not different in that area as it was a wireless key. (Toyota) Brake, shift gas. Just like the tesla. The only difference is that it had a button on the shifter that had to be pressed.

It probably also requires weight to be on the front seat and a key to be inside the car. Could a two year old start it? It also had the additional safety feature that when the two year old did start it there would be noise that could be heard outside the vehicle.
I didn't actually see anything about the location of the key in this case. If the key was outside the car I think the plaintiff has a very strong case.

 

[Sherlo]

It’s Tesla. People like to sh#t on Tesla. Broken record at this point.

And we live in lawsuit happy USA

 

[kevindamen]

This is a stupid lawsuit.

Yes a child can get a car moving.
I have pictures that I crashed my mother's car into a fence twice when I was under 4 and that was almost 35 years ago.

Now I have my own 3 year old, and I have set the PIN to drive security feature so that my 3 year old cannot move it.

Poor thinking on her part is still her fault

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

If the key was outside the car I think the plaintiff has a very strong case.

Yes to this. That would be a defect, and has other implications for owners as well! Someone could occasionally just drive off with your car (it is probably not going to shut down once it is operating)!

Going back to all the interlocks Tesla has - and they are numerous - I suspect Tesla will settle this lawsuit if all it took was a bag of groceries or a purse on the front seat to disable that particular interlock (this is my speculation about the only way this could have happened). It’s hard to argue to a jury that that is good enough, when the same sensor 100% has the ability to sense whether a child or adult is in the driver’s seat - but that info was being ignored by Tesla’s software.

If the key happened to be outside the car at the same time...they are definitely settling!

 

[Daniel in SD]

What's a key, Grandpa?

 

[MXWing]

I'm very sure this type of thing has happened many times. Anyone with kids should certainly understand that you don't always foresee what they will do. It doesn't mean she isn't at fault, but calling her an idiot for letting that happen is overly harsh. Now, calling her an idiot for what very much appears to be a frivolous lawsuit is another story.

I have young kids that are overly curious, profoundly gifted and zero self control.

With that said, an accident that takes 1 second to execute, I can’t stop. That is life.

A kid getting away from me to where they can climb into a car, and run my ass over?

That is horrid parenting through and through.

More than sufficient time to get your kid under control.

 

[Daniel in SD]

I have young kids that are overly curious, profoundly gifted and zero self control.

With that said, an accident that takes 1 second to execute, I can’t stop. That is life.

A kid getting away from me to where they can climb into a car, and run my ass over?

That is horrid parenting through and through.

More than sufficient time to get your kid under control.

Is it a good idea to be running through your house into the garage when you're pregnant?
I'm surprised that nearly everyone on this thread has never let their kid out of their sight for more than 1 second and feels that anyone that does should have CPS called on them.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Is it a good idea to be running through your house into the garage when you're pregnant?
I'm surprised that nearly everyone on this thread has never let their kid out of their sight for more than 1 second and feels that anyone that does should have CPS called on them.

Come on, everyone knows it is no problem to keep up with a 2-year-old who doesn’t want his diaper changed when you are 8-months pregnant.

One thing TMC is well known for is empathy.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Come on, everyone knows it is no problem to keep up with a 2-year-old who doesn’t want his diaper changed when you are 8-months pregnant.

One thing TMC is well known for is empathy.

Really, she should have hired a 24/7 nanny. Women who are 8 months pregnant should NOT be responsible for young children. What is wrong parents these days? SMDH

 

[MXWing]

Is it a good idea to be running through your house into the garage when you're pregnant?
I'm surprised that nearly everyone on this thread has never let their kid out of their sight for more than 1 second and feels that anyone that does should have CPS called on them.

• She took her son inside to change his diaper, but he ran back into the car, into the driver's seat. The vehicle was in park.
• As Harcourt moved in front of the Model X to remove B.H., the car accelerated, pinning her against the wall with its doors still open, the suit says.

Look at the article bullet points.. SOUND travels faster than feet.

STOP NOW. NO POKEMON. NO PEPPA PIG.

For my oldest, he responds to "YOU WANT SOME?!!"

I specifically said 1 second examples don't count. Ones where I have to follow a kid and stop them from running me over? Plenty of time to put the fear of their creator into their heads.

Control your brats.

Come on, everyone knows it is no problem to keep up with a 2-year-old who doesn’t want his diaper changed when you are 8-months pregnant.

One thing TMC is well known for is empathy.

She lost that empathy when she pulled the "ITS TESLA'S FAULT CARD".

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

I have no doubt that a clever, active, motivated 3 year-old, allowed unsupervised in my car (or an X) with a phone in range and no PIN requirement would be able to move it. Especially if it had the Creep option on, they'd not even have needed to watch someone push the accelerator. For my car I would be entirely unsurprised if they were able to do it with with cardkey only.

You are probably right that it definitely could happen - it happened here after all...but...

Your child would also need to know to plug the seat belt in (without him in the seat) to be able to get the car to move - assuming the interlocks work the way Tesla says and a driver’s weight must be detected in the driver seat.