In a recent incident that has cast a spotlight on Tesla’s design and functionality, shipping magnate and sister-in-law of Sen. Mitch McConnell, Angela Chao, 50, drowned after her Tesla vehicle accidentally backed into a pond outside Austin, Texas.
The tragic event occurred on February 11 when Chao, attempting a three-point turn, mistakenly put the car in reverse instead of drive. This mistake led to her vehicle driving over an embankment and into a pond, marking a fatal error that was not Chao’s first with the car’s gearshift system.
Chao was driving toward her 900-acre private ranch in Blanco County, Texas, about 12 miles outside Austin, after ringing in the Lunar New Year with her friends.
Just moments after saying goodbye, Chao contacted one of her companions, revealing that her Tesla Model X SUV had ended up submerged in a pond. Before help could arrive at the remote location, Chao drowned.
Chao confessed to her comrade that she had put her car in reverse instead of forward drive, a misstep she was known to have made once before.
The specifics surrounding the incident of Chao’s Tesla landing in the pond haven’t been revealed by the officials yet. This lack of information has led various individuals to speculate, one of them being J. Kyle Bass, a renowned hedge fund manager and the originator of Hayman Capital Management, a company based in Texas. He’s among those wondering whether the Tesla was potentially compromised through hacking.
The incident has prompted a closer examination of Tesla’s gearshift design, which some drivers find confusing and potentially dangerous. A review of the US Department of Transportation’s database reveals 12 complaints specifically related to issues with Tesla vehicles accidentally being put in reverse. Of these, seven complaints highlight confusion caused by the gearshift’s design, while the remaining five involve vehicles unexpectedly switching between drive and reverse without warning.
This problem isn’t isolated to just one model or one instance of driver error. Across Tesla forums, owners have shared their experiences of similar confusion and close calls. In 2022, Tesla owners reported incidents of near accidents due to gearshift confusion, highlighting a broader concern among the electric vehicle’s user base.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Tesla have faced scrutiny over these issues. Tesla’s gearshift mechanisms vary by model and production year. Earlier models utilized a stalk to the right of the steering wheel to shift gears, a design some drivers found counterintuitive. This setup was changed in newer models produced after 2021, which introduced a touchscreen method for selecting gears. However, this change has also been met with complaints, as some drivers find the touchscreen gearshift unintuitive and have reported minor incidents as a result.
Beyond gearshift confusion, Tesla has faced significant scrutiny over its autopilot feature, particularly related to “phantom braking,” where vehicles unexpectedly brake for non-existent obstacles. The NHTSA has opened investigations into this issue, with more than 700 complaints filed. Phantom braking has led to at least one fatality and numerous safety concerns from Tesla drivers and safety experts alike.
Tesla’s approach to vehicle design, particularly its reliance on software and touchscreen interfaces for critical functions like gear shifting and vehicle control, has raised questions about user safety and the clarity of the vehicle’s operating systems. Despite these concerns, Tesla has continued to innovate and push the boundaries of electric vehicle technology.
The conversation around Tesla’s design choices and the user experience they foster is ongoing. As electric vehicles become more prevalent on the roads, ensuring their safety and usability remains a paramount concern for manufacturers, regulators, and drivers alike.