Shot forward when parked [unintended acceleration - resolved by OP]

[bo3bdar]

@Carolespirit: Thanks for coming back with an answer. I, for one, appreciate it.

So, at the moment, it appears that the car didn't have something, well, broken about it, which is a good thing.

But, I have a thought: As it happens, my S.O. is a human factors engineer. These are the kind of people, usually Industrial Engineers, but sometimes have majors in Psychology, who worry about man-machine interfaces and how to make them work well, preferably without danger to life and limb. As an example, one of their early claims to fame were forcing airplane manufacturers of all stripes to put the various cockpit controls in the same places, with the same directions to make something happen. (There were cases of of a pilot moving from one plane to another, something exciting would come up, and said pilot would make a move, without thinking (muscle memory) and auger the airplane into the ground.)
So, a HF engineer would ask, "OK, we had an accident. How can we change things so such an accident isn't possible?"

So, let's see what happened:

1. Creep mode enabled.
2. Missed hitting the Park button.
3. Held down the brake a bit, then started to get out, thinking that the car wouldn't move.
4. Car moved, accident. Um. Weight still on the seat?

OK. So, say we got access to all the sensors, all the time. What, if anything, could we do with the sensor outputs that would detect a case of 1-2-3, but would prevent 4?
For extra credit: Show that 1, 2, 3, as currently implemented, allows some behavior that we do want, and that the proposed change either (a) doesn't change the behavior that we want or (b) there's a determination that that behavior that's wanted, isn't a behavior that'll be missed..

Let's see. Weight on the seat. Seat belt open/closed. Door open or closed. Speed of car? In-car camera view? Any others?

Are there scenarios where you actually need to have the door open and drive? It seems like the human factors design there would be to do the simplest path- if the door is opened, it goes into Park. Not based on weight or seatbelt use.

I know older cars allowed this, but only because they had no sensors for doors being open. I'm not sure about the behavior at speed. If you open the door at speed, clearly it shouldn't just slam on the parking brake. Maybe just beep and warn that it cannot open door. I can't think of a good scenario where I need the door to open at 60 mph.

 

[android04]

It would be nice to have the option in the software to turn on an acknowledgement that you are in ‘Park’. A sound, or a blank screen with just the word ‘Parked’ until you tap it to acknowledge you’ve seen it. More confident people wouldn’t need to turn on the option? It may have helped in my situation?

One way to get confirmation is to engage the parking brake manually (normally there is no need to do this because the car does it when you put it in Park). To do so, first put the car in Park. Then press and hold on the Park button again until you see a red symbol and the word "PARK" on the screen. See the Parking Brake section of the online owner's manual for the symbol Model 3 Owner's Manual | Tesla

Like I said, you normally don't need to use the manual Parking Brake mode because the car does it automatically when you put it in Park. However, the manual mode adds that visual confirmation on the screen that it is engaged. It's up to you if you want to get in the habit of using the manual mode every time.

 

[Kandiru]

Hmmm, could peripheral neuropathy and CPU microangiopathy have possibly lead to this?

 

[Carolespirit]

Yes, I am new to an EV. I've just been out in my Tesla with all the comments from this forum in mind, and it's very simple. I didn't press park!

So sorry about all the drama. And thank you for all your help. I stopped on the brake, it went into hold, I opened the door, took my foot off the brake and put my leg out. It went into creep and hit the wall, closing the drivers door on my leg, and trapping my foot. To reverse out of the situation I brought my free left leg over to press park, engaged reverse and then pressed the accelerator (also with my left foot).

I still think it would be helpful to have a more obvious indication that you are in park, and a unique sound when you press to engage it.

One way to get confirmation is to engage the parking brake manually (normally there is no need to do this because the car does it when you put it in Park). To do so, first put the car in Park. Then press and hold on the Park button again until you see a red symbol and the word "PARK" on the screen. See the Parking Brake section of the online owner's manual for the symbol Model 3 Owner's Manual | Tesla

Like I said, you normally don't need to use the manual Parking Brake mode because the car does it automatically when you put it in Park. However, the manual mode adds that visual confirmation on the screen that it is engaged. It's up to you if you want to get in the habit of using the manual mode every time.

 

[Carolespirit]

Thank you so much! I will absolutely do that from now on. I still love my car.

 

[Big Earl]

Confirmation of PARK:

• You can hear the parking brake calipers engage on the rear wheels, although that ability probably fades with age and hearing loss.
• The PRND display in the top left corner of the screen will show P in black when the car is in park. RND will be gray.
• The car visualization rotates to the front corner view instead of the top-down view that you would normally have when stopped in gear. This change is very visible.
• The car visualization will show options to open the frunk, charge port and trunk. If you don't see these options, the car is not in park.

Carole, thank you for sharing your experience with us and for taking our eccentricities in stride. Welcome to TMC.

 

[Carolespirit]

You're right. I didn't put it in park. It was still in drive and creep.

 

[thesmokingman]

I still think it would be helpful to have a more obvious indication that you are in park, and a unique sound when you press to engage it.

When in D and stopped, if you open the door the car will switch to P. I'm curious how you opened the door, managed to get a leg or two out w/o the car switching to P. You must have still been moving at that point??

 

[Carolespirit]

Confirmation of PARK:

• You can hear the parking brake calipers engage on the rear wheels, although that ability probably fades with age and hearing loss.
• The PRND display in the top left corner of the screen will show P in black when the car is in park. RND will be gray.
• The car visualization rotates to the front corner view instead of the top-down view that you would normally have when stopped in gear. This change is very visible.
• The car visualization will show options to open the frunk, charge port and trunk. If you don't see these options, the car is not in park.

Carole, thank you for sharing your experience with us and for taking our eccentricities in stride. Welcome to TMC.

Yes, thank you, I realise that now. I'd still like some plain English though, like the word 'Parked' under the car visualisation after it has rotated.

 

[Carolespirit]

Hmmm, could peripheral neuropathy and CPU microangiopathy have possibly lead to this?

I hope not. Maybe I should get myself checked out.

 

[Carolespirit]

When in D and stopped, if you open the door the car will switch to P. I'm curious how you opened the door, managed to get a leg or two out w/o the car switching to P. You must have still been moving at that point??

I promise you I had stopped. I now believe my foot was on the brake when I opened the door. Then I took my foot off the brake and stuck my leg out to exit the car. Then it moved forward. It must have still been in drive and on creep? I had never engaged Park?

 

[thesmokingman]

I promise you I had stopped. I now believe my foot was on the brake when I opened the door. Then I took my foot off the brake and stuck my leg out to exit the car. Then it moved forward. It must have still been in drive and on creep? I had never engaged Park?

Obviously Park was never engaged. I think what we have here is a misunderstanding of what "CREEP" mode is. In creep, the car will creep if you let off the brake.

 

[oreobbq]

Please see this post by Android04. I’m now certain this is what I did. I kept my foot on the brake when I’d stopped and the car went into ‘Vehicle Hold.’
My grandson was excited to get home, so I was distracted. Believing I was parked, I started to get out. But the car was in ‘creep’ and still in drive. So of course it carried on moving.

I am now very careful to remember to engage park, but also I’ve become very aware that there is really no confirmation from the car that you are actually in ‘Park’.
If there was an option in the software to have a very clear confirmation with a sound or to have the screen go blank with just the word ‘Parked’ until you touch the screen to acknowledge you’ve see it, then I would most certainly choose to have that option engaged, for future times when my head may be frazzled.

Thank you for your reply. I really do appreciate it.

Woohoo! Rarely do these threads ever go well, it went from Possible troll post -> OP actually responded -> Multiple suggestions -> Mystery solved.

May I suggest disabling creep from now on. I don't think you'll make the same mistake twice anyhow.

 

[Carolespirit]

Woohoo! Rarely do these threads ever go well, it went from Possible troll post -> OP actually responded -> Multiple suggestions -> Mystery solved.

May I suggest disabling creep from now on. I don't think you'll make the same mistake twice anyhow.

No, I absolutely will not!

 

[Carolespirit]

Obviously Park was never engaged. I think what we have here is a misunderstanding of what "CREEP" mode is. In creep, the car will creep if you let off the brake.

Absolutely. I’m turning off ‘creep’. Really don’t need to simulate internal combustion engine cars anyway. Good video.

 

[Carolespirit]

Absolutely. I’m turning off ‘creep’. Really don’t need to simulate internal combustion engine cars anyway. Good video.

I notice that in that video there is a very big letter ‘P’ to indicate park. On my screen it’s very tiny.

Absolutely. I’m turning off ‘creep’. Really don’t need to simulate internal combustion engine cars anyway. Good video.

Absolutely. I’m turning off ‘creep’. Really don’t need to simulate internal combustion engine cars anyway. Good video.

 

[jjrandorin]

Woohoo! Rarely do these threads ever go well, it went from Possible troll post -> OP actually responded -> Multiple suggestions -> Mystery solved.

May I suggest disabling creep from now on. I don't think you'll make the same mistake twice anyhow.

(Moderator note)

I do want to take a second to specifically commend the OP of this thread (@Carolespirit ).

Not only did they keep engaged in the thread (which isnt that unusual, but is welcome), but didnt take offense at some posters skepticism about this subject and being a new poster, and even better, when they felt they might have figured out what happened, came back and told us so.

Usually, when a poster figures out something like this, and it perhaps isnt what they thought, they just "vanish" or at a minimum stop commenting on the thread they started. Its refreshing to see that not be the case here.

My personal opinion is, since the OP has what they feel is an acceptable answer to what happened, there is no longer any need to "dig in" to the issue reported in the thread. With that being said, I am not going to lock the thread or anything. I am just hoping we can reciprocate the accountability shown by @Carolespirit by not "piling on" as it were.

In any case, A belated "Welcome to TMC" to @Carolespirit , and hope now that you have figured this out, you choose to stay a while.

 

[KenC]

There is a Greenmount MD !

Thank you. I went to college in Baltimore, and it's located just off Greenmount Ave, so I figured there might also be a Greenmount city or town in Md.

However, the OP's story showed a bruise which only made sense if the driver's seat was on the right side of the car, and since it was evening in her story, and evening here when she posted, I guessed the time lapse probably put her in the UK, giving her time to calm down from her serious scare. There's also a Greenmount in Australia, but the UK made the most sense.

 

[Pricedm]

I think it would be helpful if there was a distinctive sound to indicate the car has been successfully put into park?

The electronic parking brake activating makes a distinctive sound. Not an in-cabin "chime" or other specific alert, but yes, there is a distinctive sound when the electronic parking brake activates.

Sorry you and your car got banged up. Fortunately looks like bumper doesn't have structural damage, so could be fixed with relatively inexpensive repaint.

 

[Carolespirit]

(Moderator note)

I do want to take a second to specifically commend the OP of this thread (@Carolespirit ).

Not only did they keep engaged in the thread (which isnt that unusual, but is welcome), but didnt take offense at some posters skepticism about this subject and being a new poster, and even better, when they felt they might have figured out what happened, came back and told us so.

Usually, when a poster figures out something like this, and it perhaps isnt what they thought, they just "vanish" or at a minimum stop commenting on the thread they started. Its refreshing to see that not be the case here.

My personal opinion is, since the OP has what they feel is an acceptable answer to what happened, there is no longer any need to "dig in" to the issue reported in the thread. With that being said, I am not going to lock the thread or anything. I am just hoping we can reciprocate the accountability shown by @Carolespirit by not "piling on" as it were.

In any case, A belated "Welcome to TMC" to @Carolespirit , and hope now that you have figured this out, you choose to stay a while.

Yes, I’m very grateful for all the help and completely sure we’ve nailed it. I won’t be posting any more about it, but I am very glad I’ve found this group of knowledgeable Tesla owners. I’ll keep reading! Best wishes to you all from the UK.