Tesla is rolling out a new remote OTA update stamped 2022.20.6 for the Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X. On the program: better protection for occupants in the event of an accident.
Teslas are among the safest cars in the world in the event of an accident, as regularly proven by data from Euro NCAP or the American IIHS and NHTSA. And thanks to regular over-the-air (OTA) updates, the American manufacturer can add additional features. With the new 2022.20.6 update, a new security feature is appearing: Seat Belt System Enhancement which could be translated into an improvement in the seat belt system.
A predictive pretensioner
You should know that in most new cars, the seat belts are not simply manual. They are indeed equipped with the pretensioning system, called pretensioner. It is a passive safety system which allows the seat belt to be pulled back in the event of an impact. The aim is to reduce seat belt slack as much as possible and thus keep the occupant firmly in the seat. This prevents the head from hitting the steering wheel, the airbag or ending up whiplash with the head hitting the headrest too hard.
Tesla innovates with its update as indicated during the quarterly financial results. The brand’s electric cars all already have the pretensioner. This is traditionally activated during an impact. But now, the car’s cameras will allow it to be activated a few milliseconds before a frontal impact in order to further reduce the risk of injury. The website not a tesla app specifies that this update concerns all Model X, Model S and Model Y but not all Model 3 without more information.
As we can see on the graph of Tesla, this feature will reduce the deceleration force during an accident. If you have a Tesla Model 3, you will have to wait for the 2022.20.6 update to be offered on your vehicle to find out if you are affected by this new feature.
The driver watched by the car
This new update also takes the opportunity to deploy the Cabin Camera functionality in France on all of the brand’s vehicles equipped with the MCU3 on-board computer. This feature monitors the driver via the camera placed under the rearview mirror. If the driver is in autonomous driving without having his eyes on the road, the system will issue an audible and visual alert to remind him to order.
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