by Gabrielle DeSantis

That Tesla fire that everyone is talking about started spontaneously, it seems. The Gladwyne Fire Department responded to a report of a burning car in Haverford, Pennsylvania on June 29, 2021. They found a Tesla engulfed in flames, and the circumstances surrounding the fire were pretty strange. The spontaneous Tesla fire involved the new Model S Plaid. It was supposed to be released in February, but Elon Musk said there were “more challenges than expected,” and the Plaid was just released.

The rumored driver is known as the “Crypto King”

The NY Post reported that they’ve confirmed the driver’s identity as Bart Smith, head of the digital asset group at Susquehanna International. Lawyers for the Tesla owner have not confirmed that it was Smith driving the Tesla which caught on fire. Susquehanna International owned 1.1 billion worth of Tesla shares as of March 31, 2021.

When the fire first happened, there were reports that the Gladwyne Fire Department wasn’t sure who the owner was, though it’s hard to know if that was really the case. The fire department took three hours to put out the fire safely since they had to wait for it to cool before they could pass it on to the second responders.

The fire started spontaneously

Smith was driving their new Tesla Model S Plaid when it suddenly caught fire. Mark Geragos, managing partner of Geragos & Geragos, is representing the Tesla owner. Geragos relayed exactly what went down. 

The Tesla owner had only had his car for a few days. He realized that his brand new car was smoking, and subsequently was on fire while driving. He scrambled to get out of the car but initially couldn’t get the doors to unlock. Luckily he was able to get out by pushing his weight against the door. The Tesla continued to roll 25 to 30 yards on fire, which gave it the illusion of driving autonomously while completely engulfed in flames. 

Confusion ensued. “It was a large amount of heat, then a huge amount of smoke. A very acrid smell. The fire just raged for quite a while,” the NY Post reported eyewitness Tom Wilkinson saying. 

Although it isn’t uncommon for cars, including electric vehicles, to catch on fire after an accident or some sort of other damage, that doesn’t seem to be the case in this fire. Geragos said that his client hadn’t done anything to damage his new Tesla, and he called the fire “completely spontaneous.”

Smith is quite unhappy about the whole situation

A lawyer for Smith posted on Twitter about the fire. He wrote, “Our firm & @AthleteDefender represent an exec who purchased new Tesla Plaid Model S, which was 1/250 shipped. On Tuesday it spontaneously combusted. Our client was trapped & could have died. We tried reaching out to Tesla & have been ignored so far.”

It’s not hard to imagine why Smith would like a response or some sort of acknowledgment from Tesla about whether they’re looking into the fire or taking the Model S Plaid off the market until the cause of this fire has been determined. The NHTSA is investigating this fire, as well as several other Tesla fires. 

RELATED: Tesla Autopilot Driver Snoozes While Car Hurtles at 80 MPH

The post The Fire That Destroyed a Tesla Model S Plaid Was “Completely Spontaneous” appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Whenever you parallel park your car on a busy city street, it’s common to forget that cyclists share the same street side with you. One swing of the door at any unlucky moment could mean a cyclist getting struck by it, in addition to a resulting injury and potential lawsuit. However, there is a way to curtail the possibility of striking someone with your car door and all it takes is switching the hand you normally open your door with.

“Dooring” accidents are more common than you think

Cyclists getting struck by car doors is such an issue in this country that there is even a term for it: Dooring. In 2011 alone, there were 344 dooring accidents recorded in the city of Chicago, which means that there was almost one per day, reports We Love Cycling. Dooring can also kill people too, as there were seven dooring-related deaths in New York City from 1996 to 2005, and three cyclists died from it in 2019. According to Reader’s Digest, New York City is aiming to raise awareness with a “Look! For Cyclists” sticker on all of its 13,000 taxi cabs.

The “Dutch Reach” can save lives

Fortunately, there is another way that we can all proactively save cyclists from any dooring accidents. It’s called the “Dutch Reach,” and all it requires is that you (as the driver) open the car door with your right hand.

The logic behind this technique is that when you’re sitting in your car’s driver’s seat, you’re more likely to open the car door with your left hand since it’s closest to it. However, this could likely lead to a dooring accident, since you might forget to check for any cyclists.

But if you reach over and open it with your right hand, then the simple motion of reaching over and pivoting your torso toward the street will make it easier to check for any approaching cyclists or pedestrians. And in case you’re wondering, this technique is aptly named because the tip was invented in the Netherlands. Here’s a visual demonstration of the “Dutch Reach.”

Should passengers do the Dutch Reach?

Absolutely! If you have a rear-seat passenger that needs to open their door toward the street, then it’s important for them to employ the Dutch Reach as well. It might seem a little unorthodox at first since we’re typically used to opening the car with our left hand, but it can save lives in the long run.

It’s such a simple concept, but it works. In fact, it works so well that the Dutch have been doing it for decades. There’s even a whole movement at Dutchreach.org, which stresses the importance of incorporating the Dutch Reach into your daily life, or at least when you park on the street. They’re looking to get the word out about opening the door with your right hand and to “teach the reach” that there are even slogans for it. Our favorite one is: “Reach, Swivel, Look, Open.” Of course, just telling people to open the door with their right hand is much easier.

RELATED: 5 Things Car Enthusiasts Hate That You Do In Our Cars

The post Why Should You Always Open Your Car Door With Your Right Hand? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.