NHTSA Complaint #11390877 — 2020 TESLA MODEL Y

THE OTHER DAY I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, AWAITING GREEN IN A LEFT TURN ONLY LANE. IT WAS A LONG LIGHT AND I MAY HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED BY A CONVERSATION WITH MY PASSENGER. I AM 99% CERTAIN THAT I DID NOT HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAUSE I RARELY USE IT NOW-A-DAYS WITH REGENERATIVE BRAKING AND TACC. THE GREEN LIGHT CHIMED AND I INSTINCTIVELY PUSHED UPWARD ON THE RIGHT STALK, DOUBLE CHECKING (IN MY MIND) THAT I HAD DISABLED TACC AND AUTOPILOT, KNOWING THAT I WAS ABOUT TO TURN LEFT. UNFORTUNATELY THIS 'CONDITIONED' BEHAVIOR OF MINE INADVERTENTLY PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE!! I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND NEARLY BACKED INTO THE CAR BEHIND ME. IT COMPLETELY CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD SINCE MY EXPECTATION WAS THAT THE CAR WOULD MOVE FORWARD. OBVIOUSLY I WAS WRONG. THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS DISTURBED, HOWEVER I DID AVOID MAKING CONTACT BY HITTING THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHILE I CERTAINLY REALIZE THAT I AM FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONFUSION, I DO BELIEVE THAT TESLA SAFETY ENGINEERS MIGHT WANT TO EXPLORE THIS SCENARIO AND SEEK OUT A PREVENTIVE SAFE-GUARD. PERHAPS SOFTWARE CAN PREVENT CAR FROM SWITCHING TO REVERSE UNLESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. OR MAYBE A MUCH LARGER "R" INDICATOR THAT BLINKS AND BEEPS. I'M SURE IT IS AN EASY FIX.