A Safer Hood for Model 3
Now that the updated version of the Model 3 has been out for about three months, several new safety features are getting some attention - and they’re some pretty clever bits of engineering.
First brought to our attention by user @tesla_adri on X, the Model 3 redesign - formerly called “Highland” - has some passive safety features that the original didn’t. Metal hooks for keeping the doors aligned in a crash, double-powered dampners on the trunk to stabilize that part, an Active Hood, and the Driver Drowsiness Warning system.
The Drowsiness Warning system is based around a camera installed above the rear-view window that watches for the amount of yawns and blinks a driver makes - warning them on the central infotainment display if it detects some drowsy behaviours.
It’s a little odd to have your car watching you while you drive - but a lot of accidents are caused by people drivign while tired, so it’s a useful system to keep those incidents to a minimum.
The rest are pretty self-explanatory, but the active hood is something relatively new. The idea is that in the event of a collision with a pedestrian, sensors in the front bumper will send a signal to the Model 3’s computer. An algorithm will determine if the accident requires more intervention, and if it does, a pair of pistons pushes the rear of the hood upwards about 3 inches.
This cushions the blow that a person would receive from slamming into a nearly horizontal hood - which is one of the bigger causes for head injuries in these types of collisions.
This feature is reportedly already available in the Model S and Model X in some markets - but reportedly all new Model 3’s have the Active Hood.
Now, the only downside is that after activation, you’ll need to get a Tesla Service Center to reset the pistons and realign your hood - sort of like what you’d have to do if your airbags deploy - but it’s a small price to pay for minimizing pedestrian injuries.
Safety features like the Active Hood are the sort of thing we all hope to never have to use - but it is encouraging to see Tesla taking an active role in protecting people.
Now we just have to wait for the Highland refresh to make its way to North America for the feature to be adopted here.