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Four dead in fire as Tesla doors fail to open after crash

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Re: Four dead in fire as Tesla doors fail to open after crash

#121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn’t the average car safety be significantly below a Tesla Model Y anyway?

Tesla has the highest fatality rate, so that is ruled out! :) Secondly, it is the coupling of electronic controls with unintuitive manual backups that create the danger.

I would still favour the car that has good crash test safety scores and AI powered safety features that work relatively well according to independent tests, over the random taxi.

But otherwise I agree, the door opening mechanism should be improved.

Re: Four dead in fire as Tesla doors fail to open after crash

#123
post #2

Another similar incident happened around a week after that one: https://www.channel3000.com/news/dane-county-sheriffs-office... . One thing to note is that the car doors in Teslas are electrically controlled and a different failsafe method of opening the doors is required when the electrical system isn't working. Here's the steps for manually opening the Model Y's rear doors (car in the story the post links to): http…

  > Note: Not all Model Y vehicles are equipped with a manual release for the rear doors.
Astounding.

Re: Four dead in fire as Tesla doors fail to open after crash

#124
post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tesla has the highest fatality rate, so that is ruled out! :) Secondly, it is the coupling of electronic controls with unintuitive manual backups that create the danger.

> Tesla has the highest fatality rate, so that is ruled out! :) Do you have a source? Genuinely interested. From the little reading I've done Tesla seem to have put quite a bit of thought in to making their cars perform well in crash tests so it seems surprising that they'd have a high fatality rate.

"Tesla Has Highest Fatal Accident Rate of All Auto Brands: Study" (2024)

https://autos.yahoo.com/tesla-highest-fatal-accident-rate-16...

Re: Four dead in fire as Tesla doors fail to open after crash

#126
post #18

Everyone should have a glass breaker in their car. Even if the car has mechanical doors.

I have two in the compartment between the front seats, and I also have an axe secured under the seat. However, accidents are random events; you never know what will happen. If these tools are still in place, can you reach them, and are you able to use them, among other things? So I wouldn’t count on it in the slightest.

Re: Four dead in fire as Tesla doors fail to open after crash

#127
post #18

Everyone should have a glass breaker in their car. Even if the car has mechanical doors.

It is said that the glass breaker no longer helps with laminated side windows. What then. Kicking the window out, if that's even possible, could be the only way.

Unfortunately kicking doesn’t work, it needs to be strong enough with momentum which you can’t do from the inside with current position, not to mention any injuries from the impact.

Re: Four dead in fire as Tesla doors fail to open after crash

#128
post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Tesla has the highest fatality rate, so that is ruled out! :) Do you have a source? Genuinely interested. From the little reading I've done Tesla seem to have put quite a bit of thought in to making their cars perform well in crash tests so it seems surprising that they'd have a high fatality rate.

"Tesla Has Highest Fatal Accident Rate of All Auto Brands: Study" (2024) https://autos.yahoo.com/tesla-highest-fatal-accident-rate-16...

Interesting quote from that piece:

> The study's authors make clear that the results do not indicate Tesla vehicles are inherently unsafe or have design flaws. In fact, Tesla vehicles are loaded with safety technology; the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named the 2024 Model Y as a Top Safety Pick+ award winner, for example. Many of the other cars that ranked highly on the list have also been given high ratings for safety by the likes of IIHS and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, as well.

> So, why are Teslas — and many other ostensibly safe cars on the list — involved in so many fatal crashes? “The models on this list likely reflect a combination of driver behavior and driving conditions, leading to increased crashes and fatalities,” iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer said in the report. “A focused, alert driver, traveling at a legal or prudent speed, without being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, is the most likely to arrive safely regardless of the vehicle they’re driving.”

Re: Four dead in fire as Tesla doors fail to open after crash

#129

I’ll leave a thought that isn’t a Tesla criticism (because the others are good): everybody should carry a lifehammer in their car. If not for saving your own life, it might come in handy for saving somebody else’s. https://www.amazon.com/Lifehammer-Brand-Safety-Hammer-Nether... Don’t buy the cheap Chinese knockoffs.

This is way too big for everyday carry, just in case my Lyft happens to be a model S. They should forbid those as cabs or take them off the road entirely.
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