So. A fortnight ago our Tesla was involved in an RTA. Or, I like to think, had an RTA inflicted upon it. (There’s a more detailed description of what happened below.)
My wife and I were returning from a festival and were hit by a BMW X3. We’re (physically) fine – our Model 3, not so much, but of course that’s the right way round. The NHS lease company were great – we were a couple of hundred miles from home, so – after a few hours sitting in a Highways Agency compound – they sorted us a long-term courtesy car (a Mercedes EQA – anyone fancy a compare and contrast review? Though the quick summary would be, the Tesla is much better).
We arrived home 12 hours after the crash (I drove most of the way, trying to apply the ‘Get straight back on the bike’ principle) and I spent the next few days filling out forms and whatnot. Our insurance company are clear I did nothing wrong and the good lady doctor and I are starting to feel a bit more normal at last. However, it was the first crash I’ve been involved in since I was a kid, so I thought I’d put a few quick thoughts (some Tesla-specific, some not) down here.
- The shock of the crash was huge. If you’re involved in an RTA, be prepared to forget EVERYTHING. Not that it’s a sign of common sense, or anything, but we have four educational degrees between us, and we both sat there like zombies for a while. We simply couldn’t figure out what to do. It then dawned on me, I’d made sure there were a range of numbers – breakdown, recovery, the lease company – in both of our phones, and one of these was for emergencies like this. If you haven’t already made sure you have access to any number you might conceivably need, if you were to crash, I’d advise you sort this straight away.
- We know people are more important than cars. Remember this when the adrenaline finally kicks in. Especially if you’re travelling with others, remember that one side of the car is likely more dangerous than the other. Don’t just fling open a door because you need to see what the damage is – you could cause another accident. Make sure you and any passengers are OK – everything else can wait.
- Make safety your main priority. Our accident happened just off the M1 – there’s a huge amount of work going on in the area, with temporary traffic lights, diggers and piles of earth as far as the eye can see. However, this did then mean that there were cones everywhere, so we could cone the two vehicles off before the traffic cop arrived. We then stood as far away from the traffic as possible. (Because of the roadworks, we were in a free recovery area, so said – very nice – officer was able to get both vehicles moved away pretty quickly. He also swept away glass and did a visual inspection of the temporary traffic lights.)
- You will forget everything, part 2. I couldn’t immediately recall if there was a vehicle in front of me while we were waiting at a red light, or if there was anyone in the next lane along. Don’t speculate too much on what happened. Instead, when the time comes, you will – hopefully – find that the Tesla cameras recorded the whole thing. My advice would be to turn off the sentry and remove the USB stick as soon as you can. (Alternatively, you can make some recordings yourself, when you’re safe, and then remove the stick. This is what I did in the compound. I literally recorded the videos being played back on the Tesla’s screen with my phone, just in case something went wrong when I removed the USB stick.) I ended up sending all the dashcam files – two minutes before the accident, four cameras, and two minutes after – to the insurance company. They concluded the other driver was entirely at fault. It was also useful to be able to prove who was driving the other vehicle, as there is footage of someone getting out immediately afterwards.
- Your other priority is, I suppose, to record all the evidence you can. (We were fairly confident the dashcam would be useful, but, in case of some problem with it, probably should have taken many more photos than we did.) And make sure when you swap details that you get name, address and email address. And preferably an incident number, location and a badge number from any traffic officer who arrives.
- Just a general observation. The two or three recovery trucks in the Highways Agency compound were almost constantly in use. Other vehicles, and people, arrived after us. There is a graveyard of wrecked vehicles at the back of the compound. I got chatting to the security guy on the gate, and he said almost everyone walks away from these crashes. However – and for once in my life I’m trying not to make a political point – a huge number of RTAs seems to be the price we’re paying while we keep expanding and widening our roads. (I think they’re also rolling out smart motorways on the M1.)
- Hopefully you (and your stuff!) will eventually get home safely. I guess we all react to this differently. We were OK the next day, but then it starts to mess with your head a bit (especially as I kept having to review the footage to submit my ‘report’). What if I’d been driving fractionally faster? (The BMW would have hit the drivers’ side of the vehicle at ninety degrees instead of smashing through the front.) There were moments when both of us got a bit emotional. Last week, we both felt ill, though there seemed to be no ‘physical’ cause. If you’re involved in an RTA, find a way of being kind to yourself. A Tesla Model 3 can be replaced (probably). You can’t.
- You might find your priorities change a bit after a crash. I certainly don't care any more about the two stone chips on the bonnet or the kerbed alloys...!
Any other (Tesla-specific) tips for RTAs? Naturally, I’m hoping I/we never get involved in anything like this again, but, just in case… This is some of what I’ve learnt.
Oh, and the crash itself. Long story short, we’d just supercharged at Northampton and were approaching a busy/part-built light-controlled roundabout just off the M1. We were in the lefthand of two lanes and stopped at red lights; an Amazon van and another van had stopped in the other lane. The sliproad to the M1 was the first roundabout exit but we were intending on taking the second exit (the Teslacam footage shows the road markings quite clearly). Our lights changed to green and I started to drive forward, as did both vans. I was slightly in front of the Amazon van, but not going very fast as I did not know the area and recognised the complexity of the junction and the impact of the roadworks. The BMW must have come through a red light to our right and (after presumably passing in front of the Amazon van) hit the front end of the Tesla, at speed. We were pushed onto the slip road, coming to rest behind the BMW (whose passenger side airbags activated). The Amazon van, and the other van, continued on their way. The BMW driver and her passenger said that their light had been green, but I’m suspicious of this. The attending traffic cop watched and inspected both sets of traffic lights and told us that he saw no evidence that they were out of synch. Indeed, the video footage shows traffic coming in front of us (from the right) while we’re waiting at red, then a pause, and then all three vehicles beginning to move (on our green light). I’m almost across the slip road when the BMW seems to come out of nowhere to hit us. There was nothing I (or the car!) could do to avoid the collision. As I said, it’s all recorded on the Tesla dashcam, and I’m pleased to say the other drivers were unhurt too.
Stay safe out there, peeps.
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