this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2024
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A Tesla Cybertruck driver was killed in what appears to be the first reported fatal crash involving the electric pickup truck, which has yet to undergo third-party crash testing.

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[–] [email protected] 179 points 3 months ago (12 children)

How do you even get a vehicle past safety regulations and up for sale without third party crash testing?

[–] [email protected] 92 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

There's miles of safety regulations for cars in the US,

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Yes, you can really tell that when you compare cars for EU markets to those for USA.

Didn't Murika only legalise adaptive headlight a few years ago?

[–] [email protected] 65 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You have a car company owned by one of the richest (and thus one of the most powerful) people in the world.

[–] [email protected] 56 points 3 months ago (2 children)

When you're famous they let you do it.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago

Grab ‘em by the standards

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[–] [email protected] 53 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I found this article informative.

https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-safety/some-cars-will-never-be-crash-tested-crash-test-ratings-a9250800738/

In order to sell a new vehicle in the U.S., manufacturers must provide information from their own company crash tests to NHTSA to ensure compliance with federal standards.

[–] [email protected] 71 points 3 months ago (7 children)

Yup, regulatory capture at work. You see this a lot in EPA and OSHA as well - "we'll take your word for it until serious shit starts happening a lot."

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 3 months ago
[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 months ago

Boeing did it.

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[–] [email protected] 62 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Recent data indicates that Cybertruck may have achieved the highest sales among electric pickup trucks in the U.S. during the second quarter of 2024. With an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 units already on the road and a reported sales rate of 1,754 units per month, the Cybertruck is increasingly visible on roadways.

Well... say hello to a lot more fatal crashes. Involving pedestrians.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (5 children)

The cybertruck front is actually lower than a lot of other comparable trucks, and has a slanted hood, both things that will reduce pedestrian fatalities compared to some of the other flat neck high bricks out there.

It's just a matter of does the truck cut them in half or not with that front edge of which we don't have any data on yet.

Eg. This is beside a f150 raptor

[–] [email protected] 40 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Unfortunately the materials really matters with pedestrian motor vehicle accidents. When I first started working in orthopedics and rehabilitation, metal fenders and bumpers were still regularly on the roads and causing very specific injuries.

When a metal bumper hits you, it doesn't just cause blunt force trauma, it tends to shear muscle away from the bone. There was a specific ankle foot orthosis that was widely produced up until the early 2000s that was meant to replace calf muscles that were scooped off by metal bumpers.

This truck is basically a giant flying wedge of stainless steel, I don't see any pedestrian walking away from an accident with this monstrosity.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Any thoughts on how the plastic bumper at the bottom might impact that? Do you think that might make any difference at all? You're still going to hit the metal parts regardless, but that initial impact might be plastic, (edit: and then start the forces of throwing you onto the hood)

I really wanna see a 3rd party agency test this so we can finally get some answers, but with the lower front/angle, but the metal/front edge, it might even turn out to be a less fatalities, but more injuries type of situation. That edge is going to be the key factor.

Less deaths wouldn't excuse more injuries though. I half wonder if the NHSTA will eventually force Tesla to add some sort of rounded plastic thing around the front edges.

Edit: I just want to clarify on the injury/death ratio, I don't mean that the deaths just turn into injures, but that there is actually more injures. Like if there was 100 pedestrian accidents, and other trucks were 10deaths/20 serious injuries, that the CT might be 5 deaths / 50 serious injuries.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Any thoughts on how the plastic bumper at the bottom might impact that? Do you think that might make any difference at all? You're still going to hit the metal parts regardless, but that initial impact might be plastic

It may prevent some of the older type injuries where you get your calves scooped off in a parking lot, but it doesn't really look like it protrudes out far enough to help out in any other way.

really wanna see a 3rd party agency test this so we can finally get some answers, but with the lower front/angle, but the metal/front edge, it might even turn out to be a less fatalities, but more injuries type of situation. That edge is going to be the key factor.

From what I understand they won't be allowed in Europe due to their increased protections in pedestrian safety standards. Not sure if they did actual testing, or they just didn't meet the minimum standards.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 months ago (7 children)

That's not entirely accurate, a cyber truck has adaptive suspension that can lift the truck as much as what you'd get on a 6" lift. In the Pic you are showing it's at it's lowest position.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (4 children)

It also has sharp corners that will ruin your day- instead of Bouncing off fairly flexible body panels, that are round and blunt, you’re getting nailed by rigid, sharp corners.

Which concentrate what force is there.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

That Ford grill is made out of ABS plastic, like a big Lego.

The Cybertruck is made out of steel, like an anvil.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

As trucks get taller, you're more likely to get impact wounds on vital organs and pushed forward and RUN OVER which is going to be a worse time for you.

The CyberTruck is more likely to get you onto it's hood (unless it's fully raised at the time), which should increase your survival chance ASSUMING that edge doesn't increase lethality and only increases injuries.

Edit: Also newer cars (not trucks AFAIK) even have special features within their hoods to further increase the likely hood of not getting injured. On newer Model 3's for example it could pop up during an accident to act as a better cushion when you hit it.

Edit: Further, and this goes for all vehicles, if you know you're about to get hit, get your feet OFF the ground. It will reduce the friction and increase your odds of going onto the hood if it's not a brick wall you're hitting instead of being pushed forward/run over.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago

On the bright side, this was a single vehicle, single person crash.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 3 months ago

I sleep well knowing this thing will never be street legal in the EU.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 3 months ago

Cybertruck, built Fraud tough

[–] [email protected] 33 points 3 months ago

DPS confirmed the driver was fatally injured at the scene, but his identity remains unknown due to severe burns. The intense fire also prevented authorities from identifying the vehicle's license plate or VIN.

Holy shit, it straight up cremated him in a lithium fire. Teslas are a fucking abomination.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 3 months ago (3 children)

There is a video of the cybertruck crash test and the thing is very stiff with very little no crumple zone - so most of the energy of the impact goes directly to the driver and passengers.

And the edges are sharp like a knife in a crash. Incredibly dangerous.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

It's almost like you should follow the lessons of the past and... Who am I kidding, muskrat is a billionaire therefore he's a super genius who knows better than the decades of research into collisions...

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Tesla Cybertruck Cuisinart Edition.

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Wait, first?
That was the first crash?

Huh. I thought for sure people who buy those crash on the way home from the dealership. Of in their garage if "car" is delivered.

[–] [email protected] 57 points 3 months ago (1 children)

From the article:

appears to be the first reported fatal crash

(emphasis mine)

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 months ago (2 children)

And they say people can't read anymore. It's hidden there in the very first sentence of the article. Who would think to look there?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 months ago

First of all, I'm illiterate.

Second of all, yes, I am surprised by that. Bump one pedestrian and it's a fatal accident.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The crazy part about all that steel and those difficult to break windows means its going to be a hard vehicle to escape in a fire or underwater. He may have bought a tesla but nobody deserves to die for that decision.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago

If you choose a car with an unproven safety record, you accept the high likelihood you will die in the event of a crash.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 months ago

Only 19999 more.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 months ago (2 children)

A few years ago the fightfighters in my town had to undergo new training because there was a tesla car fire at an accident scene that they had a very hard time putting out. Shit just wouldn't stop burning.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Lithium fires need to be doused in salt to put out. Or, technically you can put out a metal fire with gasoline.

You go from a class D fire to a class B fire, and then you can put that out as normal. But yeah, salt is better.

Water is the last thing you want to use on class D fires, followed by CO2. Both have the oxygen ripped off by the burning metal, making the fire burn hotter.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago (3 children)

It does. New tech has new problems, but nothing we can't work with

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I just realized that this is my first time seeing "First fatal crash" reported for a car model (I don't pay much attention to cars)
I realize that with the number of car accidents that happen daily, every model is bound to have a fatal one eventually, but huh.. witnessing "the first one" feels weird. Morbid.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago

I was about to call bullshit but it appears I missremembered Angela Chao had a Model X

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