A recent accident involving Angela Chao, a shipping magnate and sister-in-law of Senator Mitch McConnell, has brought attention to Tesla’s design and functionality. Chao, 50, drowned after her Tesla vehicle accidentally backed into a pond near Austin, Texas.
The incident took place on February 11 when Chao, while attempting a three-point turn, accidentally reversed the car instead of driving forward. The car then drove over an embankment and into a pond. This was not the first time Chao had issues with Tesla’s gearshift system.
Chao was heading towards her private 900-acre ranch in Blanco County, Texas, approximately 12 miles from Austin, after celebrating Lunar New Year with her friends.
Shortly after leaving, Chao informed one of her friends that her Tesla Model X SUV had ended up in a pond. Tragically, before help could reach her remote location, Chao drowned.
Chao admitted to her friend that she had mistakenly put the car in reverse instead of forward drive – a mistake she had made in the past.
The exact circumstances of how Chao’s Tesla ended up in the pond have not been disclosed by officials. This has given rise to speculation, including by J. Kyle Bass, the founder of Texas-based Hayman Capital Management, who wonders if the Tesla might have been hacked.
The incident has led to further scrutiny of Tesla’s gearshift design, which some drivers find confusing and potentially unsafe. A review of the US Department of Transportation’s database shows 12 complaints about Tesla vehicles accidentally being put in reverse. Seven of these complaints cite confusion due to the gearshift’s design, while five involve vehicles unexpectedly switching between drive and reverse.
This issue is not limited to a single model or instance of driver error. Tesla owners have shared similar experiences on forums, reporting near accidents due to gearshift confusion. In 2022, such incidents underscored broader concerns among Tesla’s user base.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Tesla have both been criticized over these issues. Tesla’s gearshift mechanisms differ by model and production year. Earlier models used a stalk on the right of the steering wheel to shift gears, a design some drivers found counterintuitive. Newer models, produced after 2021, feature a touchscreen method for selecting gears. However, this too has received complaints for being unintuitive, leading to minor incidents.
In addition to gearshift confusion, Tesla’s autopilot feature has been under significant scrutiny, mainly due to instances of “phantom braking,” where vehicles unexpectedly brake for non-existent obstacles. The NHTSA has received over 700 complaints about this issue, which has caused at least one death and numerous safety concerns.
Tesla’s design strategy, notably its dependence on software and touchscreen interfaces for critical functions like gear shifting and vehicle control, has raised safety and operational clarity questions. Despite these concerns, Tesla continues to innovate in electric vehicle technology.
Discussion about Tesla’s design choices and the user experience they provide continues. As electric vehicles become more common on the roads, ensuring their safety and ease of use remains a top priority for manufacturers, regulators, and drivers.
