5 ms·

Does this need to be in literally every thread about Tesla? Is there any evidence at all that this is the impairment of safety opponents claim? Model 3s have b

Does this need to be in literally every thread about Tesla? Is there any evidence at all that this is the impairment of safety opponents claim? Model 3s have been sold in large numbers since 2018. Are drivers crashing into other cars at higher rates? Or are we just going to keep beating this dead horse?

TheDong 6y ago
They might have slightly higher fatality rates than other "luxury sedans", but seem to be safer than the average car (which includes older models on the road that don't have active collision avoidance features or such). https://www.tesladeaths.com/#FAQ https://www.tesladeaths.com/#FAQ Note that I say "they might" because tesladeaths.com is probably overcounting slightly. It's created by a group of short sellers, and the IIHS may count fewer incidents for other cars. Until the IIHS releases properly comparable numbers themselves, it's hard to say for sure.
- moduspol 6y ago
  > Note that I say "they might" because tesladeaths.com is probably overcounting slightly. More than slightly, and that includes far more than just the ones where the touchscreen replaced nearly all controls not on the steering pedestal (Model 3, Y). I don't know how many years have to go by without supporting evidence before we can move on from these claims. More than three, apparently, and despite other manufacturers making the same shift toward touchscreens.
fiddlerwoaroof 6y ago
Yeah, my experience with the Model 3’s touch screen is that it’s really good at displaying the information you need at a glance and that, while driving, very little interaction with it is necessary: the sticks and steering wheel controls do nearly everything you need while driving.
- moduspol 6y ago
  Perhaps, but every thread needs the comments from someone who rode in one / test drove it once and just can’t wrap their head around how it can be driven without staring at the screen. Even to those of us who have driven them every day for years. It was tired when the car first came out, but at least it was a valid concern. Now it just feels like an unwillingness to accept reality.
mdoms 6y ago
> Does this need to be in literally every thread about Tesla? If the thread is about safety, yes.
schrijver 6y ago
> Is there any evidence at all that this is the impairment of safety opponents claim? This came out this week: > A study measuring the affects of driver distraction suggests using a dashboard touchscreen is up to four times worse than being at the UK’s drink-drive alcohol limit. https://www.tu-auto.com/touchscreen-infotainment-four-times-worse-than-alcohol/ https://www.tu-auto.com/touchscreen-infotainment-four-times-...
- moduspol 6y ago
  If I’m reading that study correctly, it’s measuring when drivers actually operate the touchscreen while driving. That’s a bit different from driving a car that happens to have one. Every Model 3 has one, and they’ve been made in large numbers since 2018. It seems like we’d have the numbers by now if it were the threat it’s claimed to be.
  - Jasper_ 6y ago
    You need to operate the touchscreen while driving in order to turn on the windshield wipers.
    - jiofih 6y ago
      The UI on that touchscreen is very different from the average car touchscreen. Bigger and ridiculously more responsive. The wipers are accessible in two quick touches: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rr_XzzJ6gc https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rr_XzzJ6gc I’m pretty sure you can operate it with voice commands as well, and the click wheel in the 3? That said, why would you not leave it on auto? I own a normal car and don’t touch the dashboard at all during 98% of drives, everything is set to auto (wipers, lights, AC).
      - dfinninger 6y ago
        Yep, voice commands work. Also, It’s not the click wheel, it’s the left stalk in the 3/Y. And touching the button on the stalk brings up the part of the UI that controls the wipers. I can reach it with my pinky while my hand is on the wheel. To your point, I’ve never taken it off auto. I just hit the button on the stalk every now and again to get an extra wipe/clean.

TheDong 6y ago

They might have slightly higher fatality rates than other "luxury sedans", but seem to be safer than the average car (which includes older models on the road that don't have active collision avoidance features or such). https://www.tesladeaths.com/#FAQ https://www.tesladeaths.com/#FAQ Note that I say "they might" because tesladeaths.com is probably overcounting slightly. It's created by a group of short sellers, and the IIHS may count fewer incidents for other cars. Until the IIHS releases properly comparable numbers themselves, it's hard to say for sure.

moduspol 6y ago
> Note that I say "they might" because tesladeaths.com is probably overcounting slightly. More than slightly, and that includes far more than just the ones where the touchscreen replaced nearly all controls not on the steering pedestal (Model 3, Y). I don't know how many years have to go by without supporting evidence before we can move on from these claims. More than three, apparently, and despite other manufacturers making the same shift toward touchscreens.

fiddlerwoaroof 6y ago

Yeah, my experience with the Model 3’s touch screen is that it’s really good at displaying the information you need at a glance and that, while driving, very little interaction with it is necessary: the sticks and steering wheel controls do nearly everything you need while driving.

moduspol 6y ago
Perhaps, but every thread needs the comments from someone who rode in one / test drove it once and just can’t wrap their head around how it can be driven without staring at the screen. Even to those of us who have driven them every day for years. It was tired when the car first came out, but at least it was a valid concern. Now it just feels like an unwillingness to accept reality.

mdoms 6y ago

> Does this need to be in literally every thread about Tesla? If the thread is about safety, yes.

schrijver 6y ago

> Is there any evidence at all that this is the impairment of safety opponents claim? This came out this week: > A study measuring the affects of driver distraction suggests using a dashboard touchscreen is up to four times worse than being at the UK’s drink-drive alcohol limit. https://www.tu-auto.com/touchscreen-infotainment-four-times-worse-than-alcohol/ https://www.tu-auto.com/touchscreen-infotainment-four-times-...

moduspol 6y ago
If I’m reading that study correctly, it’s measuring when drivers actually operate the touchscreen while driving. That’s a bit different from driving a car that happens to have one. Every Model 3 has one, and they’ve been made in large numbers since 2018. It seems like we’d have the numbers by now if it were the threat it’s claimed to be.
- Jasper_ 6y ago
  You need to operate the touchscreen while driving in order to turn on the windshield wipers.
  - jiofih 6y ago
    The UI on that touchscreen is very different from the average car touchscreen. Bigger and ridiculously more responsive. The wipers are accessible in two quick touches: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rr_XzzJ6gc https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rr_XzzJ6gc I’m pretty sure you can operate it with voice commands as well, and the click wheel in the 3? That said, why would you not leave it on auto? I own a normal car and don’t touch the dashboard at all during 98% of drives, everything is set to auto (wipers, lights, AC).
    - dfinninger 6y ago
      Yep, voice commands work. Also, It’s not the click wheel, it’s the left stalk in the 3/Y. And touching the button on the stalk brings up the part of the UI that controls the wipers. I can reach it with my pinky while my hand is on the wheel. To your point, I’ve never taken it off auto. I just hit the button on the stalk every now and again to get an extra wipe/clean.