Actor Kevin Dillon's Tesla automatically brakes inside car wash, causing 4-car accident
Actor Kevin Dillon was allegedly the cause of a four-car fender bender at an automatic carwash with a track system in Los Angeles.
The beloved "Entourage" actor was reportedly seen at the drive-through car wash in the Los Angeles area, where his electric vehicle automatically braked in the middle of the car wash, causing several cars behind him to collide with each other.
Police said that Dillon, who drives a Tesla, caused a ripple effect for other unlucky drivers when he reportedly lifted up from his seat, and his car stopped in place on the car wash track.
This could have been caused by any number of features in Tesla programming that automatically apply the brakes as a safety feature. The car engages "stopping mode" if both the accelerator and brake pedals are released at a "very low speed."
There are a series of different options for the stopping mode, but the most likely feature that engaged on Dillon, according to the Tesla online owner's manual, is the "hold" feature.
The feature "maximizes range and reduces brake wear by continuing to provide regenerative braking at speeds lower than with the Creep and Roll settings," the manual reads.
"When Model 3 stops, the brakes are automatically applied without you having to put your foot on the brake pedal. Whether stopped on a flat surface or a hill, Vehicle Hold keeps the brake applied, provided your foot remains off the accelerator and brake pedals."
It is likely the latter portion of the hold feature initiated if Dillon took both feet off the brake and accelerator pedals.
However, the unexpected stop could have been caused by the "regenerative braking" feature, as well.
The manual states that when a driver's foot is off the accelerator, but the Tesla is moving, the system automatically "slows down the vehicle and feeds any surplus power back to the Battery." This is done to increase the driving range of the EV by conserving battery power.
TMZ reported that the car wash actually had a sign that advised Tesla owners that any sudden seat movements could shift their car into park and therefore cause potential injury or damage to vehicles.
The Tesla manual did not appear to mention a feature about the car automatically stopping if the driver lifted up from their seat.
Additionally, one person involved in the slight collision complained about discomfort, and, as such, law enforcement was reportedly called to take an accident report.
TMZ did not receive a response from Dillon.
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