A Tesla Model Y taxi crashed in Norway over the weekend in a case very similar to a Model 3 taxi that crashed in Paris in 2021. Fortunately in this particular incident no one was killed or injured, but in both cases the driver is claiming the car had a mechanical malfunction and the brakes did not work.
This incident took place early on Saturday, May 13 2023 in the city of Bergen, when the electric SUV accelerated uncontrollably, leaving the roadway and crashing into the outdoor seating area of a cafe. That didn’t stop the Model Y as it continued on down the sidewalk, re-entering the roadway before eventually coming to a stop after crashing into a concrete barrier.
According to a report by Dagbladet Bergen, the driver was able to get out of the car under his own steam after the collision and when police arrived told them “there was something wrong with the car.” No details were provided on the driver’s condition, but he was taken to hospital in an ambulance and later charged with negligent driving. The Model Y has been impounded by police for an inspection.
Photos from the scene taken by the Bergen Police show the outcome could have been very different if this incident had happened during the day or evening when the sidewalk is filled with people.
Despite taking place in the early morning hours at around 4:40am, the incident was actually caught on camera by someone in a nearby building. The video, which was taken several stories above street level, captures the final moments before the Model Y crashes. Many viewers speculate the brake lights appear to be activated the entire time, however this is more likely to be the taillights than the brake lights.
In all other cases of alleged sudden unintended acceleration, the driver has claimed a mechanical error but the data has always proven it to be the driver mistakenly pressing the accelerator instead of the brake pedal, referred to as ‘pedal misapplication.’ The issue has even been the subject of an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which found “no evidence of fault in the accelerator pedal assemblies, motor control systems, or brake systems that contributed to the cited incidents,” adding that there is “no evidence of a design factor contributing to increased likelihood of pedal misapplication.”
