Terrifying Crash Demonstrates Tesla's Commitment to Safety

First responders call it a miracle that occupants inside a Tesla Model Y survived a horrific crash.

NBC News

First responders frequently go to Devil's Slide, 20 miles south of San Francisco on Highway 1. It's a scenic but treacherous drive, with the road just a few feet from an edge and a 250-foot drop to the rocky beach below. Unfortunately, fire and ambulance crews were again called to the area on Monday, January 2. But this time it was different.

Brian Pottenger, battalion chief with Cal Fire's Coastside Fire Protection District, said, "We go there all the time for cars over the cliff, and they never live. This was an absolute miracle." He stated, "the damage to the vehicle would indicate that it hit, and then flipped several times," and that is why crews were shocked when they spotted movement inside the wreckage.

Safest Vehicle in the World

The fire department tweeted some horrific images from the scene. But you can make out that the wreckage is a white Tesla Model Y, one of the safest vehicles in the world. Incredibly, all four people inside the Model Y, two adults and two children, a 4-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl survived. The children were unharmed, and the adults suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Sadly, the police have determined the crash was intentional and have arrested the driver, Dharmesh A. Patel, on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse.

Tesla's mission is to "accelerate the advent of sustainable transport vehicles," but it prioritizes safety in its design. The website states: Tesla vehicles are engineered to be the safest in the world. Each one combines powerful onboard technology with an all-electric design to help protect every driver, passenger, and pedestrian on the road.

Commitment to Safety Continues

That's not just rhetoric, as proven in this horrible crash. The Model S, 3, X and Y have received five out of five stars on every test run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including rollover protection. They have also been scored with the lowest overall probability of injury of any vehicle ever tested by the U.S. government's New Car Assessment Program. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has numerous times given Teslas the top safety pick. Most recently, calling the Model 3 the Top Safety Pick of 2022.

Tesla hasn't stopped there. Last year it introduced a Seat Belt System Enhancement. The enhanced onboard camera system detects when a crash is imminent and applies tension to the seatbelt. Regrettably, the seatbelt system hasn't been improved for decades. It only tightens the belt once the vehicle has made an impact.

Tesla's commitment to safety clearly played a significant factor in saving those four lives and has undoubtedly saved thousands of other people from injury and death.

How Tesla's FSD Beta Has Expanded Over Time

Tesla reveals how many miles have been driven on FSD Beta as of January 2023

Tesla

Tesla's Full Self Driving (FSD) technology took a giant leap forward in distributing FSD Beta to 400,000 customers in North America. It is a significant milestone for the development of autonomous driving and highlights Tesla's commitment to bringing this cutting-edge technology to the masses. A new version, v11.3 could roll out any day.

Number of Testers Over Time

Tesla made FSD Beta public a little more than two years ago, around October 2020. It was initially only made available to less than a handful of testers, but that pool grew to about 1,000 users later that year.

Since then Tesla has gradually increased the number of testers. The ramp from the initial 1,000 testers took some time, but by October 2021 Tesla had opened it up further through its Safety Score program. By January 2022, it was available to about 60,000 owners.

In March of 2022, Tesla expanded FSD Beta to Canada, gradually adding additional testers, and eventually increasing the number of testers across the U.S. and Canada to 160,000 in September.

Tesla announced this December that the number of testers had grown to 285,000 and recently said this January that it's now accessible to 400,000 Tesla owners.

FSD Beta Expansion and Milestones

Faster Feedback

The deployment of FSD Beta to such a large number of customers will provide an unprecedented level of testing and feedback, allowing Tesla to refine the technology and bring it to an even higher level of reliability and safety. Furthermore, with over 90 million miles driven on FSD outside of highways, the published data shows a clear improvement in safety statistics, demonstrating the potential for autonomous driving to revolutionize the way we travel.

This increased testing level will help improve the technology even further, as the system can learn from a broader range of driving scenarios and road conditions.

FSD Will Make the Roads Safer

The safety benefits of Full Self Driving technology will be a major selling point for Tesla and one of the primary reasons for its rapid growth. Using cameras and other advanced technologies, FSD can monitor the road and make real-time adjustments to ensure the vehicle operates safely and efficiently. As a result, this technology reduces the likelihood of accidents and provides passengers with a safer, more comfortable driving experience.

Overall, making FSD Beta available to 400,000 customers represents a major step forward for Tesla and the entire autonomous driving industry. It's now available to all customers who have purchased or subscribed to FSD in the U.S. and Canada. The next big expansion is expected to be in Europe sometime this year.

With its focus on safety and reliability, Tesla is leading the way toward a future where driving is fully autonomous, and accidents are a thing of the past. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more impressive advances in the coming years, bringing us closer to a world where autonomous vehicles are a common sight on our roads.

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Tesla Accessory, Ctrl-Bar Adds Physical Buttons to the Model Y and Model 3

The Ctrl-Bar adds physical buttons to the Model 3/Y

Ctrl-Bar

Tesla's minimalistic interior design is both loved and hated. Much loathing is due to the lack of physical buttons drivers are so used to having at their fingertips to control heat, music and everything else in the cabin. The sleek look is attractive, but for some it can fall short in easy accessibility while driving.

That's where a new product comes into play: Ctrl-Bar. Created by Øyvind Husby of Oslo, Norway, Ctrl-Bar has nearly 300 backers on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo and has beat its target funding goal by more than 280 percent. The objective is to provide a tactile, programmable solution to Tesla's minimalistic interior design.

How It Works

Ctrl-Bar is a device that attaches securely to the bottom of the Model 3 and Model Y screen and offers a quick-access, tactile response that physical buttons can only achieve. The premium black glass finish blends seamlessly with the screen bezel, providing a smooth look. It connects to a smartphone using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and gets power from a hidden USB cable connected to the rear center console USB port. The app runs in the background, capturing only the data needed to run the services and prioritizing privacy. In addition, the Ctrl-Bar screen shows real-time changes, so there is no latency when changing temperatures or other functions. After less than a second, the device will send the command to your vehicle.

Ctrl-Bar Video

The Scrolls, Buttons and Extras

The Ctrl-Bar has two scroll wheels with tactile indents to control the cabin temperature, one for the driver and the passenger. In addition, four push buttons are in the middle of the wheels to provide easy access to programmable shortcuts, such as seat heaters, defrost mode, dog mode, and more. All changes made on the Ctrl-Bar are reflected on the center screen, offering a unified experience.

In addition to controlling essential functions, Ctrl-Bar also provides ambient LED lighting. The device has a series of powerful LEDs that illuminate the center console and front footwells. Users can scroll through assorted color and brightness options to find the perfect lighting for their drive. For an additional subscription, Ctrl-Bar offers speed trap warnings. The device checks for nearby fixed speed traps and visually alerts the driver when they are approaching. If the driver exceeds the speed limit, Ctrl-Bar will give an audible warning reminding them to slow down.

The Ctrl-Bar adds physical buttons to the Model 3/Y

Ctrl-Bar

Creative Company with a Track Record

Greenmission, the company behind Ctrl-Bar, has successfully launched a premium wireless charger for the Tesla Model S/X. With trusted manufacturers and software developers on board, the main obstacles to getting Ctrl-Bar into the hands of Tesla owners are developing the phone app, establishing a reliable connection, avoiding supplier issues and delays, and managing costs. Despite these challenges, Greenmission is confident they can bring Ctrl-Bar to market and provide a much-needed solution to the lack of physical buttons in Tesla vehicles.

Ctrl-Bar is an interesting device that adds some physical buttons for owners who want or need them. It matches well with the interior of the vehicle and still provides a sleek look. However, it will require your phone to have a cellular connection to successfully send commands to the vehicle, since it relies on Tesla's APIs.

Tesla drivers are always looking for ways to improve their experience, and new features will be made available through Over-The-Air updates. Furthermore, users' feedback and suggestions will be considered and worked on in future updates.

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