In the wake of Tesla’s comprehensive vehicle recall due to safety concerns regarding its Autopilot system, a recently published investigation asserts that Tesla records the highest incidence of accidents among all car brands. According to LendingTree, the renowned auto financing and mortgage entity, this study solely focused on crash statistics without delving into the underlying causes. The analysis simply establishes that Teslas encounter a disproportionate number of accidents compared to their counterparts.
LendingTree’s data reveals that from November 14, 2022, to November 14, 2023, Tesla recorded 23.54 accidents per 1,000 drivers. Surpassing the 20 accidents per 1,000 drivers mark, only Ram (22.76) and Subaru (20.90) ranked higher. This high accident rate also contributed to Tesla’s second-highest incident rate of 31.13, trailing only behind Ram (32.90). It is essential to note that incident rate encompasses not only accidents but also instances involving DUIs, speeding violations, and other citations.
Tesla
The propensity of Tesla’s Autopilot and Autosteer functionalities towards accidents might explain the heightened crash rates of Tesla vehicles. In the previous year, the Department of Justice commenced an inquiry into Tesla, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) identified 322 collisions, including frontal impacts, stemming from Autopilot disengagements. As evidenced by the recent recall, drivers had a tendency to overly rely on Tesla’s Autopilot, leading to a loss of control. Tesla asserts that it is rectifying this issue through a forthcoming over-the-air update.
Is it fair to categorize Tesla drivers as the most negligent motorists globally, as implied by LendingTree’s headline? Such a contention might be deemed unjust. Nonetheless, does the report underscore a pertinent concern necessitating the attention of automakers and safety organizations? Undoubtedly so.
Interestingly, the report doesn’t solely pinpoint Tesla; BMW also emerges significantly with the highest count of DUIs compared to the runner-up.
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