An unfortunate incident that recently took place in San Francisco, California highlights the importance of one of Tesla’s lesser known safety features – PIN to Drive.
The incident took place a few days ago where a woman either high on drugs or suffering from a schizophrenic episode (or both) attempted to steal a Tesla Model 3 parked on the side of the road.
A video shared on Reddit shows the woman getting in on the passenger side and then shifting over to the driver’s seat of the black electric sedan, forcing the owner out of the car with the clear intent of driving it away.
The owner attempts numerous times to persuade her to get out, but thanks to her unfamiliarity with how Tesla’s operate, she was unable to steal it. (Warning: the video contains offensive language and may not be appropriate for all viewers)
That in itself is a partial safety feature since had she known to put her foot on the brake and put it in Drive, it would have been a different story, simply due to the fact the owner was within proximity of the vehicle for it to be “turned on.”
However the built-in safety feature PIN to Drive would have prevented the theft, even if the owner were to have given her the key card or his mobile phone.
If you are unfamiliar, PIN to Drive requires a four-digit verification be entered before your car can be driven. Without it, the car isn’t going anywhere.
While it might be a slight inconvenience to take the extra 2 or 3 seconds to enter the PIN before each drive, the video above shows that it could save you from a much bigger headache down the road.
PIN to Drive can be activated through ‘Controls’ > ‘Safety & Security’ > ‘PIN to Drive’ on your car’s center display.
Here is a short video from Tesla on the safety feature.
