this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2023
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IdiotsInCars

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From the article:

The man is blaming the automaker even though the manual door opener was under his left hand the whole time.

A man in Arizona says that he was recently trapped in his Tesla after getting in, closing the door, and then realizing that his battery was dead. What he didn’t know is that the manual release for the door was under his left hand the whole time. Now, he’s blaming the automaker and raising awareness.

Rick Meggison, 73, says that Tesla needs to address what he calls a “safety concern” involving how to exit the car when the battery dies. The main door latch actuator on all Tesla models is electronic so if the 12-volt battery dies it won’t work. To ensure safe exit of the vehicle Tesla includes a manual release. Meggison didn’t know about that and ended up trapped in his car for 20 minutes on a hot day.

“I couldn’t open the doors. I couldn’t lower the windows. The computer was dead, so I couldn’t open the glove box. I couldn’t open anything,” he told ABC7. Of course, he could’ve opened the door in about two seconds had he known that the manual release was just ahead of his window switches. His situation has many wondering who’s to blame in situations like this.

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[–] Moc@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (3 children)

If a passenger can’t figure out how to safety exit a vehicle, that sounds like a design problem.

[–] Clent@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

Yeah. This is pretty cut and dry.

Opening a car door from the inside shouldn't require special knowledge. It shouldn't require searching.

The manual release inside a trunk is easier to find.

[–] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

Agreed. Manual opening should be visible and easily used by anyone even if you don’t know how Tesla works.

[–] WiseMoth@lemmy.world -1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Looking at the image in the article, it looks like a pretty simple latch

[–] Moc@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

Not obvious enough for a safety feature

[–] mister_monster@monero.town 3 points 2 years ago

Manual release huh. Back in my day we called it a door handle.

Can we quit reinventing shit that works fine already? It's just marketing anyway.

[–] purahna@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

this is the most sleekness-over-usability dysfunctional bullshit I've seen in a minute, it's not even labeled

$0.50 has been deposited into your Tesla Supercharger credit account

[–] Exusia@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

God damn that's some shitty execution of a handle. I can see how it would get mistaken as asthetic molding

[–] DoomBot5@lemmy.world -2 points 2 years ago

It's not meant to be used normally. The button further up is the normal electronic release.

[–] hollywoodhoogle@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

The back one is even worse. You have to pull up the cup holder mat and pry out a clip before you can pull a wire.

[–] FireTower@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Not even really relevant to this post but I hate the minimizing trend of car's interfaces. I'd much rather have an actual handle & volume dials rather than touch screens shoved at you as a cheap way to trick people into thinking a car is more expensive when in reality it has better margins like that.

[–] Cheems@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

Touch screens are cheaper to use over actual buttons and dials which is why they are the new standard.

[–] Snapz@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

This source keeps pushing tesla propaganda. There's always an angle trying to sell that it wasn't the tesla's fault

[–] PetteriSkaffari@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

Could have called 911, provided he had a phone with him. With an active battery.

[–] Chickenstalker@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

Door handles have been perfected since Ogg build a door to his cave. Why do we need to reinvent it?

[–] Thrawne@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Do these cars not come with a physical manual?

[–] DoomBot5@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

Might be in the glove box? Accessible via touchscreen only (yes it's dumb).

[–] iByteABit@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago

Can we stop reinventing the wheel constantly ffs?

Electric windows, electric handbrakes, computers in control of everything and now electric fucking doors?

What's even the point besides artificially upping the price and selling it as a "luxury product" that can barely function in an emergency?

[–] haych@lemmy.one 0 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (6 children)

Controversial opinion, but anyone buying a car which is a giant death machine, should read the manual before driving it, especially when it's an electric vehicle and things aren't like normal cars.

Now I dislike Tesla, but the manual release isn't hard to find.

[–] thetwaddler@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

What about passengers or people who rent a Tesla?

[–] brygphilomena@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

This might work if the only occupant ever was the owner. But it totally ignores all the passengers and children that will be in the vehicle.

Door handles should be intuitive at this point.

[–] 2ez@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

When someone is panicking, the nonstandard design will really shine.

Especially for seventy year olds, the most reasonable and adaptive kind of human!

[–] haych@lemmy.one -1 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Exactly why you should read the manual first.

[–] 2ez@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Have you read your car's manual cover to cover?

I hope you're not responsible for designing products, because intuitive product design is important. Requiring a manual to understand a potentially life-saving feature of your vehicle, because the manufacturer chose form over function... listen to yourself.

Here's another great solution: don't let your car battery die (/s)

[–] haych@lemmy.one -1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Yes, I have 2 cars, I've read both manuals.

I'm not saying I agree with with the bad for handles, but manuals for a big death machine should be read anyway, and if he did he'd know how to open a door.

[–] deegeese@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I know this is 8 months old, but are you seriously arguing people should read a car’s manual to know how to open the door?

Any door that requires the user to read a manual is a terrible design.

[–] haych@lemmy.one -1 points 2 years ago

You misunderstand. I'm saying every car owner should read the manual for their car. Buy a new car, read the manual, it contains a lot of useful information whether you drive a crappy Tesla or not.

[–] Skelectrician@lemmynsfw.com 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

So imagine for a moment that this is a child and not a senior. You gonna scream at little Timmy for not RTFM?

Car doors have been pretty standard and self explanatory for 100 years, until now. There was no good reason to make such a huge design change for the sake of looking cool, especially when the override is hidden behind a piece of trim.

[–] madcaesar@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Exactly. People on here claiming read the manual to find out how to open a door must be missing /s because they sound insane.

Standards exist for a reason and your product should be intuitive or BETTER, a shitty button with a picture is not better than a handle like literally everywhere else.

[–] GbyBE@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 years ago

If there even is a paper manual, it's probably in the electronically opened glovebox, which obviously won't open anymore...

[–] haych@lemmy.one -1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Don't get me wrong, I don't like the change, I dislike Tesla's and see no reason for Tesla to change what is standard.

But I still believe a grown adult buying a giant metal death machine should read the manual before driving off in one, especially when if you do just calmly look around for more than 5 seconds you can find the door open latch.

[–] Skelectrician@lemmynsfw.com 2 points 2 years ago

Normally, I'd agree with you, but in a matter of life or death, like baking in a hot car, the means of exit should be obvious for anyone, including children and the elderly. Just like in public buildings with proper exit signage, there should be no questioning how to get the fuck out in an emergency.

[–] knacht1@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Isn't the manual displayed on the touch screen?

[–] haych@lemmy.one -1 points 2 years ago

They have a copy on the touch screen and another on their website. I've probably read more of the Tesla manual than most Tesla drivers and I don't even like Tesla.

[–] brygphilomena@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

They don't provide a printed copy of the manual, it's only on the computer. This makes it awkward to really read as you have to sit in the car. It also means that if the battery dies you cannot access it to even look up things like the manual door release.

[–] haych@lemmy.one -1 points 2 years ago

https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/model3/en_us/GUID-7A32EC01-A17E-42CC-A15B-2E0A39FD07AB.html

I don't own a Tesla so I guess it's impossible for me to read this then.

[–] Terevos@lemm.ee -1 points 2 years ago

I've even had people almost use it instead of the normal button. "Oh not that one. The button where your thumb is"