Photo: OTR

Tesla has launched an opportunity for its customers to receive a video recording and a report if an accident occurs with a vehicle. This feature will allow owners to quickly receive a report on the incident and condition of the vehicle at that moment.

Tesla vehicles (Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y) are equipped with an event data recorder (EDR) that records data related to vehicle dynamics and safety systems when the system detects an accident or an accident-like situation. Please note that event data is only recorded by the vehicle when an atypical physical event is detected and is not recorded under normal driving conditions.

The resulting data is stored in the Restraints Control Module (RCM) and can help all interested parties understand the circumstances that led to the event. This will help clarify the situation immediately and enable owners to understand what happened. Having received a report on the incident, an unambiguous answer will be immediately received about whether the vehicle was in good order and whether all its functions worked correctly, which in turn, once and for all, should stop the unfounded accusations against the company, which sometimes take place after accidents.

Tesla provides free open source software that can be used to access and retrieve EDR data and also provides a free online service that generates a PDF report based on the data received.

To access data from a Tesla EDR, owners will need the following hardware:

• A Windows computer (other operating systems are not supported)
• A PCAN-USB, which is a USB-to-CAN adapter manufactured by Peak System
• The appropriate Tesla cable, available at Tesla Retrieval Cables

Owners will also need the following software:

• Device drivers for the PCAN-USB, available from Peak System
• The Tesla EDR Retrieval Program, available at Tesla EDR Retrieval Program

For more information visit the Tesla website.

© 2021, Eva Fox. All rights reserved.

_____________________________

We appreciate your readership! Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter

Follow @EvaFoxU