Ya, you wouldn’t want drivers to actually have to turn around before they backup so lets have them be loud. Maybe big flashing strobe lights too….

Backed into? Two things:

1) When you see someone backing out, it’s smart to give them room and let them back out. It’s too hard to see backwards, so trying to get around someone who is backing out is stupid and rude. I hate Wal-Mart parking lots.

2) When looking at the picture, it looks as if the Tesla was parked, and the guy just slammed into it while getting out of his parking space. It just doesn’t look right to me. “Eyewitness reports say that the other drivers didn’t realize the Tesla was there due to its lack of noise and low profile.” Um, I think the man/woman just didn’t bother to look when he/she backed out.

I have these remarkable devices on my vehicle that allow me to see whats behind me when I want to reverse, they are called mirrors and work just as well whether the vehicle or object behind is making lots of noise or is silent, its remarkable what modern technology can do.
Of course, the idiot behind the wheel has to know how to use them, which might just tax the grey matter of many drivers on the road today.

wow haha, should i get credit for this story or what

Nice call, Jumpoffit. I remember you did mention the “silent Tesla” thing a while back.

This is what gets me:

If it made noise, would it be too loud? Would it be loud enough to overpower the 400 Watt stereo the other driver likely had? Would the Tesla be cited for making that much noise?

If it was taller, who would be blamed for the accident? If the driver never looked in the mirror, or the mirror was turned down so “she could do her makeup” or “he could shave”, would that driver be at fault?

I see a Mercedes and a Tesla. Both are nice cars. Both are expensive cars. Which one has the lease? Which one has the deepest pockets?

Sue them! SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUE THEM!

And yet, I’ve gone my whole life without backing over a parked Miata…..

======>>i feelyou oldraven. I used2 work at SuperWalmart Tire&Lube, i never backed my sentra into a “silent”"low-profile” stranded shopping buggy…

that tesla looks REAL low to the ground also-

What does low profile or silent operation have to do with safe parking manouvers?

#1: USE YOUR MIRRORS, IDIOT.

#2: Most cars don’t really make much noise at all… especially if THEY AREN’T MOVING.

Hearing people complain all the time about hybrid/electric cars not making any noise while in operation. Funny… deaf people have been driving for decades now with no problems.

What did you say, RaineMan? I didn’t hear you, sorry.

This wasn’t a parking lot accident. The location is a busy intersection in downtown SF. I think the Tesla hit the Mercedes, not the other way around.

San Francisco? Aren’t people backing into each other all the time in San Francisco?

this happened nearly a month ago:
http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/07/worlds-first-fo.html

way to keep us updated on the latest news.

Wow, look at this:

http://www.hey.com/2008/07/25/worlds-first-tesla-crash-in-san-francisco/

It looks like an older Camry rear-ended the Tesla, and pushed it into the Mercedes.

If a Tesla crashes in the forest does anyone hear it?

Fire hydrants are also low and silent. Do they need beepers so assholes don’t back into them?

This really is a silly controversy. Maybe there should be a law that says every pedestrian and bicyclist must make noise whenever crossing an intersection or driveway entrance.

I’ll admit, what you hear can sometimes be just as important as what you see, but I think sight is the best tool for crash avoidance. Especially when you think about how often there is background noise to traffic, or if you have your windows rolled up with radio or heat or AC blasting. Something tells me that someone just didn’t look for a Tesla….

Maybe the Telsa drivers view was obstructed by his smugness? Really though the assclown driving the merc was just looking for an excuse after he caused the accident. (If the story is true of him backing up)

From what I’ve been reading, the Tesla cut someone in a Camry off, and they smashed into him, and then he smashed into the Mercedes.

i don’t get it… everyone think about the last time you were backing up. was it silent in your car? i know my car has a navigation that speaks to me, i also have a 10 speaker boston audio that speaks to me as well… in tones. so i never hear any car behind me whether it be a prius, tesla, moster truck, or bicycle… i simple, go slow, look in my mirrors, and back out. this whole tesla thing is stupid. its a hot car and happens to be electric, if stupid ppl are out driving, take them off the road. simple.

If JohnnyCanuck makes a comment in a forest, and no one hears him, is he still funny?

beatusmongous— GOOD CALL!!! he DID get read ended!!! is the camry driver gunna say he didn’t see or hear him cuz the car in front was black so the tesla appeared to disappear and the hybrid powertrain made him not hear it!? stupid ****, i swear.

The car that hit it was a MBZ C class, not exactly a huge car with a tall profile. And look at the photo. How fast was this idiot going in reverse to end up that high on the front of the Tesla?
http://www.wreckedexotics.com/newphotos091/exotics/2tesla_20080729_001.shtml

Monkey, look at the photos on v0v0’s link. They show a lot more of what really happened.

Now I know why the Energizer bunny gets around beating on that annoying @$$ drum, so he doesn’t get run over.

====>>LOL HemiRR good one lol

====>>what if the Tesla was a Vespa scooter?

Well Ken… we already saw what happens to rich-ass men who drive Vespas instead of the Ferraris they design.

I don’t even know why there is any controversy surrounding this! When you get into your car, put it in reverse, and press on the gas you better look where the hell your going lol. I mean it is total common logic that when you back into someone, its your ****ing fault for being an idiot that can’t even muster the common sense to look where you are god damn going!

Ouch Raine that is harsh, you should try building your own auto-empire before you speak ill of the grandmasters.

Don’t they have HORNS? When I see someone backing into me, I blow the G-D horn! Maybe it was parked.

It looks like the Tesla crashed in the MB C-class.

My mistake – July 25th.

“From what I’ve been reading, the Tesla cut someone in a Camry off, and they smashed into him, and then he smashed into the Mercedes.”

That actually sound much more realistic. I would have expected the rich new owner of a smugmobile to be driving like an asshat and cause an accident.

golf4me, maybe there wasn’t enough juice left to power the horn. hah!

Why not require people to make noise instead of hybrids? Would be easier to implement: most are already loud and obnoxious as it is.

I didn’t know they gave driver’s licenses to blind people.

I know exactly what happened. This little honkey was doing dukes of hazzards stuff thinking he could drive.Sadly we all know they can’t drive for ****.

I don’t know what LLN is talking about, this is not a parking lot, unless somewhere they have really tiny parking lots in the shape of roads, check out the next picture on the actual website and you will see what I am talking about

soo he was reversing in the middle of the road and in a clearly rapid speed why?!!!!

what if it was a kid????
didnt see it because it was white?

Crackerhemi, there are no details about anyone’s race, and the only detail about gender is the fact that the first Tesla owner was a man. That’s it.

And if I remember correctly, “Brother can’t drive” came out of the mouth of Eddie Griffin, a black man.

ZAP

All this talk about electric cars lacking noise is not at all logical.
The majority of new cars make very little noise to begin with, gas or electric.

RaineMan: Exactly! What the F*CK is this?!? Suddenly the car takes the blame for what is really a dork’s fault for not driving properly? If this car wasn’t there, some toddler might have been mowed down by this loser. Who the hell are they gonna blame then? Gheeezzz…

ya that kid needs to pay more attention and that must hit parked cars all the time because they make no sound at all

i think cracker needs a nice orange paint job on his Toyota PIOUS

No way the Mercedes back into the Tesla unless he was doing 30mph in reverse. That Tesla had to have rear-ended the Mercedes.

The dude had it for less than four hours before decorating it and the Benz. Good job. Putz.