Tesla cars have the most fatal crashes, US safety report finds

WASHINGTON: A Tesla is more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than any other brand of new vehicle on the road, according to a new study compiled from official US figures.

For the analysis, automotive researchers at used vehicle platform iSeeCars examined US accident statistics for the years 2017 to 2022, focusing on accidents resulting in at least one fatality.

The organisation analysed data from the US Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and produced an average value across all vehicles and brands.

It found Tesla has the highest fatal accident rate of all car brands in the US, followed by Kia, Buick, Dodge and Hyundai.

The authors of the study, published in November, noted that Teslas with their advanced driving technology were safe cars but that did not mean their owners were safe drivers.

“Most of these vehicles received excellent safety ratings, performing well in crash tests at the IIHS and NHTSA, so it’s not a vehicle design issue,” said the company's executive analyst Karl Brauer.

“The models on this list likely reflect a combination of driver behaviour and driving conditions, leading to increased crashes and fatalities.”

Tesla's reputation for software-assisted driving and safety systems has been mired by hundreds of crashes where the company's trademark Autopilot driver-assist feature was engaged, as documented by a separate US federal investigation published in April.

The iSeeCars researchers calculated that there were 5.6 fatal accidents in Tesla cars for every billion vehicle miles (1.6 billion km).

This would mean that one person is killed in an accident every 178 million kilometres driven in a Tesla.

Kia was second in the list at 5.5 followed by Buick at 4.8, Dodge at 4.4 and Hyundai at 3.9

In terms of individual car models, the study found the Hyundai Venue SUV was associated with the most fatal crashes, followed by Chevrolet's iconic Corvette sports car and Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback.

FARS, which became operational in 1975, contains data on a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes within the 50 US states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.