Study finds Tesla vehicles linked to highest fatal crash rate among US automakers
An analysis of US traffic safety data found Tesla vehicles recorded approximately 5.6 fatal accidents per billion miles driven, roughly double the national average, with Model Y and Model S showing significantly higher fatal crash rates. An iSeeCars analyst attributed this not to vehicle design but to driver behavior including distraction and speeding, potentially exacerbated by Tesla's touchscreen interface and misleading marketing of its partially autonomous driving systems.
What happened
An analysis by automotive portal iSeeCars using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) examined fatal crashes involving vehicles from model years 2018 to 2022. Tesla recorded approximately 5.6 fatal accidents per billion miles driven, roughly double the national average of 2.8 per billion miles, with Model Y and Model S showing particularly high rates.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk regularly presents his vehicles as 'the most secure cars on the road,' and the company promotes features like Autopilot and Full Self-Driving as technologies intended to reduce human error.
Reported impact
The probability of being involved in a fatal accident with a Model Y is reportedly 3.7 times higher than the average, while the Model S risk is reported to be double the average.
Index analysis
Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars, stated that these results do not necessarily reflect vehicle design flaws but instead point to driver behavior, as modern cars are safer than ever but these safety features are undermined by distracted driving and higher speeds. The widespread replacement of traditional buttons with a large touchscreen may contribute to driver distraction, and Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' system name misleadingly suggests total autonomy while the driver must remain vigilant.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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