this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2024
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Fuck Cars

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This happened in Toronto on October 24th

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[–] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 48 points 7 months ago (8 children)

I heard Teslas are supposed to have manual release latches inside.

In any case, doors should always be manual anyway. This isn't the first time this happened and I'm surprised there isn't a regulation for this yet.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 50 points 7 months ago (2 children)

If we investigated car accidents like we did plane accidents we’d probably have banned them by now.

[–] rockSlayer@lemmy.world 18 points 7 months ago

We'd probably have high speed rail too instead of a vast expanse of highways

[–] apprehensively_human@lemmy.ca 7 points 7 months ago

Investigators arrive on scene. Immediately notice how the infrastructure was designed for gridlock rush hour where nothing is moving. Are appalled that the only safety training the motorists received was completed 20 years ago and never refreshed. Dismayed that these circumstances are permitted in densely populated areas.

[–] pennomi@lemmy.world 21 points 7 months ago (3 children)

They do have manual release latches, but if you have never used them they might be hard to find. Especially in the panic of a burning car.

Really vehicle electronic doors should operate the same way they (usually?) do in buildings - in case of power loss they default to unlatched.

[–] NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 17 points 7 months ago

Power loss isn't necessarily a good choice even in a traditional ICE car with a battery, let alone one with a bigass EV battery.

Because it makes it super easy to break into a car (pop the hood and unplug two connectors) AND very likely will remain charged throughout much of the fire.

No. The answer is you have fucking manual locks and door handles that don't require you to pry open a panel.

[–] anonymouse2@sh.itjust.works 15 points 7 months ago (2 children)

The article says that some Model Ys don't have a manual release on the rear doors. Can't imagine how that passes any country's safety standards.

[–] nik282000@lemmy.ca 8 points 7 months ago
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[–] Naz@sh.itjust.works 17 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The BMW manual door release is pulling the handle twice. This kind of negligence is insane and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration should slap them with a punitive fine and a mandatory recall.

[–] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago

Oh Elon is definitely gonna kill that department.

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

and I'm surprised there isn't a regulation for this yet.

Don't be. Expect any existing regulations to be rolled back soon.

There definitely needs to be a way for people outside the car to open it. People involved in accidents are often incapacitated.

[–] Sporkbomber@lemm.ee 7 points 7 months ago (3 children)

The ones in the rear are hidden under a mat in the door.

https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/modely/en_us/GUID-AAD769C7-88A3-4695-987E-0E00025F64E0.html

The model X requires you to remove the speaker grill to manually open the door.

You know, nice and intuitive.

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[–] raoul@lemmy.sdf.org 38 points 7 months ago (20 children)

The Elon Musk-owned automaker has a troubling history of owners getting locked in their cars without power. Some of these cases may be down to user error, since most Teslas come with manual release levers.

Of course, let's blame the users 🙄

[–] octopus_ink@lemmy.ml 21 points 7 months ago (1 children)

most Teslas come with manual release levers.

MOST?

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[–] Sporkbomber@lemm.ee 9 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

In the case of the model Y referenced, this release is under a mat. You wouldn't see it in normal operation.

[–] nik282000@lemmy.ca 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

In case of emergency, lift the floor mat and input the 16 digit release code.

[–] yonder@sh.itjust.works 5 points 7 months ago

The 16 digit code can be found in the "My Data" section on x.com, assuming your account has been linked to your vehicle.

[–] SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social 8 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Now, now, remember correlation is not causation. Maybe it's not the unintuitive design; maybe a disproportionate number of idiots buy Teslas?

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[–] Boomkop3@reddthat.com 30 points 7 months ago (2 children)

"seemingly"

Ye, it seemed like it so we just decided we'd rather burn alive than to actually try opening the door.

News titles sometimes

[–] streetfestival@lemmy.ca 6 points 7 months ago (15 children)

Fair, but at least they're reporting it and connecting the dots re: this tesla safety issue, which I haven't seen from any legacy media

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[–] DerisionConsulting@lemmy.ca 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Worried about libel, it is very likely that someone like Musk would sue.

If they said "It was the fault of Tesla that these people are dead" without proof and without it being a quote from someone else, they can be sued pretty easily.

Authorities are still investigating the crash and fire. But the details that we have so far implicate to some degree the electronic doors used by Tesla and other automakers, which require power to open.

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 26 points 7 months ago (7 children)

Explain to me how the engineers aren't guilty of manslaughter?

Look, I lasted one semester at engineering school, washed all the way out almost immediately. I still had to write a 10-page case study on an engineering failure, and the one I chose was the McDonnell-Douglas DC-10 cargo door failures. They teach this shit in failing community colleges in purple states. The buck stops with the PE that signed the plans. Drag his ass into criminal court. The person who allowed this design to go to production does not need to be free.

[–] Laser@feddit.org 12 points 7 months ago

They won't because this would require a trial where rich people wouldn't benefit, which is a waste of government resources, which goes against the Department of Government Efficiency's goals. More efficient to throw these poor souls' families under the bus.

[–] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

The people who design the Tesla cars are not engineers. They're a bunch of tech geeks who think they're engineers.

I mean, ask yourself this why is. Every single automobile that exists today with the exception of the Tesla can handle rain and car washes with absolutely no issues and yet Teslas have to have a special button to close off certain parts of the car so that the air intake doesn't get too wet otherwise the car ends up stinking horribly of mildew.

[–] uis@lemm.ee 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The people who design the Tesla cars are not engineers. They're a bunch of tech geeks who think they're engineers.

There is still someone's signature.

If needed, liquidate company.

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[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Where's the Safety FMEA! Show me the FMEA!

Risk 3452.7: feature, door. Function, opens during fire, failure mode: won't open during fire, trapping people inside. Cause: the darn things are electronic! So if the battery fails in a big ass fire with people inside, those fuckers are gonna cook real good! Engineering controls in place to prevent the failure mode: 200,000 units delivered in time! As in it took time to deliver the units. Risk rank: 😉 it's Frank! 😄 My name's Frank! Not rank!

Well I'm glad we took time to mitigate these risks.

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[–] psycho_driver@lemmy.world 14 points 7 months ago

Further investigation shows that three of the four had recently posted mean things about Elon Musk on Xitter. A representative from the company issued the following statement. "It is unfortunate that the fourth passenger, who was seemingly innocent of blasphemy, chose to associate with the guilty parties. Sometimes collateral damage has to occur in our attempt to cleanse the population."

[–] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 11 points 7 months ago (5 children)

CBC Link

I can think of only a few situations where you'd want to get out of a car quickly, where you'd have enough time to look under all the matte covers to find a manual door release switch that may or may not be installed. A fire is certainly not one of them. At the very least shouldn't they be equipped with a Nothammer...?

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago (2 children)

A lot of newer cars have stronger glass that even these or the spring-loaded kind can’t break.

[–] USSMojave@startrek.website 12 points 7 months ago (1 children)

If that's not illegal already it should be

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[–] averyminya@beehaw.org 4 points 7 months ago

What's the point of one of these if the windows are supposed to be unbreakable?

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[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 7 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Is there an advantage to such an electronic door opener? If they have to include a manual release anyways, it really doesn't seem like they'd save space.

I guess, there might be novelty to just pressing a button, but not burning alive is also quite a cool feature.

[–] Kecessa@sh.itjust.works 6 points 7 months ago

Just a button to press!

Emergency release can be hidden behind the speaker cover!

[–] DepthCharge@lemmy.world 7 points 7 months ago (9 children)

Always have an emergency hammer in your car to break a window

[–] lobut@lemmy.ca 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I have a Civic with a manual door handle, but after reading your comment ... I think I'm going to get one to leave in the car just in case.

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[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

The spring-loaded kind are a lot easier to use in a cramped car and by people with less upper body strength. However, those won't work on newer cars with dual-pane or laminated glass

[–] eyes@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

I've seen people say that emergency window hammers don't work with Tesla windows as they're laminated in current models.

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[–] TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 6 points 7 months ago

It would be crazy sci-fi villian if Musk had mobile access to everyone's Tesla and he is just killing off customers he doesn't like by doing shit like refusing to unlock the doors.

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