In a Tesla, fatal accidents are twice as frequent as the average

Since the launch of the Model S in 2012 – the first Tesla developed from scratch, the manufacturer has made a point of taking care of the passive and active safety of its models. The latter have been acclaimed for their crash test results by various organizations, such as Euro NCAP in Europe or the NHTSA in the United States. However, it is precisely by analyzing data from the American federal agency in charge of road safety that the site iSeeCars.com, which lists advertisements for used vehicles in the United States, revealed in a report very poor accident statistics involving Tesla cars.

Thus, iSeeCars.com looked at the 23 cars dating from 2018 to 2022 and for which the rate of fatal accidents for at least one of the occupants of said vehicle was the highest. While the national average would be 2.8 fatal accidents per billion miles traveled, or approximately 1.6 billion kilometers, the deadliest model for its occupants would be the Hyundai Venue, with 13.9 fatal accidents per billion miles , almost five times more than the average.

If iSeeCars.com does not dare to speculate on the results of this Hyundai model, one element of the report helps to at least partly explain its sad result. Thus, this city SUV, still a little shorter than the Bayon sold in Europe, is one of the most compact and least expensive models offered in the United States, as is the Mitsubishi Mirage, also singled out for its poor results (third and seventh place depending on the generation studied). However, according to the data analyzed by the authors of the report, the most compact models obtain the least flattering results, unlike the most imposing models, known as “full-size” in North America. “When two small cars collide, the forces balance out and the two vehicles tend to resist well. But if a compact car and a full-size pickup try to occupy the same space at the same time, it It’s always the smaller car that loses.”explains Karl Brauer, in charge of analyzes for iSeeCars.com, whose data, we remind you, only concerns the death of the occupants of said vehicle.

The second car most frequently involved in fatal accidents for its occupants, the Chevrolet Corvette is a relatively accessible sports car, very powerful and rear-wheel drive. We will therefore not really be surprised by its place in this ranking, as well as that of the Porsche 911, certainly not as crime-provoking, but still ranked in fourth position.

Tesla would produce the cars most frequently involved in fatal accidents for their occupants

However, the models ranked fifth and sixth cars most frequently involved in fatal accidents for their occupants are neither small accessible vehicles nor sports cars. These are respectively the Honda CR-V Hybrid and Tesla Model Y, models suitable for families and which are among the best sellers on the North American market. If the presence of the CR-V so high in this ranking is a mystery, that of the Model Y still gives rise to some speculation, especially since Tesla takes first place in the ranking of manufacturers whose cars are most often involved in fatal accidents for their occupants. Thus, the fatal accident rate per billion miles traveled would reach 5.6 for the brand, twice as high as the national average.

The Model Y having received the maximum score in crash tests conducted by the NHTSA, these are not the capabilities of the best-selling car in the world in 2023 to protect its occupants who are involved. However, “the size, weight and height of a vehicle certainly play a role in its readiness to protect passengers in the event of an accident”says Karl Brauer, “But what contributes most to occupant safety is avoiding an accident, and the greatest factor in avoiding an accident is driver behavior. A focused, alert driver traveling at a legal or safe speed, without being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, is most likely to arrive safely, regardless of the vehicle he is driving.”

In short, Teslas, in particular, could attract more drivers with dangerous behavior. It must be said that the very good performance of the manufacturer's electric cars, accessible to anyone capable of mashing the accelerator, can give a feeling of control to drivers who are not necessarily experienced. With the proliferation of high-powered models, Australia has also chosen to set up an additional driving test for anyone who would like to get behind the wheel of such a car.

Furthermore, although these are only assumptions, the difficult-to-use ergonomics of the Tesla can disrupt concentration, while the driving aids of the models, of which the brand does not hesitate to oversell the capacities, can give a feeling of heightened security. The name given to Autopilot, Tesla's semi-autonomous driving system, had already been singled out by the NTSA, which considered it misleading.

If these elements can explain the position of the Model Y in this ranking, we are however surprised not to find the Model 3 among the 23 cars most frequently involved in fatal accidents for their occupants. Certainly, SUVs have a “higher center of gravity which also implies a higher risk of rolling over”explains the report, but if this certainly applies to a Cadillac Escalade, we cannot say that the road behavior of the Model Y is so different from that of a Model 3. Moreover, the Model S also appears in this ranking, in 21st position among the cars most frequently involved in fatal accidents for their occupants, but not the Model X, its SUV counterpart.

If the position of certain models in this ranking may cause concern, “Modern cars are safer than they have ever been”underlines Karl Brauer. “Thanks to advanced chassis design, driver assistance technology and the array of airbags surrounding the driver, contemporary car models provide excellent protection for occupants. But these safety features are thwarted by the distracted driving and increased speeds, which have led to increased crash and fatality rates in recent years.” Unfortunately, the iSeeCars.com report only lists the models most often involved in fatal accidents for their occupants, making it impossible to know which are the ones driving which deaths are the rarest.