A study on the propensity of American car owners to purchase insurance found that some brands have significantly higher accident rates than the average level, with Tesla, the leading electric vehicle brand, having the highest accident rate.
A spokesperson for Lending Tree stated on Tuesday that the study surveyed 30 car brands sold in the US market, starting in November 2022 and ending in mid November this year. He emphasized that research is difficult to determine why some brands have higher accident rates than others, but there are indications that some brands may be more attractive to consumers with higher driving risks.
According to the report, Tesla has the highest accident rate among American drivers, with an average of 24 accidents per thousand drivers last year. Next is the Ram truck, with 23 accidents per thousand people; The third place is Subaru, with approximately 21 accidents per thousand people.
In contrast, the accident rates of Pontiac, Mercury, and Saturn vehicles are at a lower level, with less than 10 accidents per thousand people.
In addition, the study also found that BMW drivers are the brand with the most frequent drunk driving accidents, with 3 drunk driving incidents per 1000 people, which is about twice as high as the second ranked Ram.
Danger Autopilot
LendingTree insurance expert Rob Bhatt suggests that insurance companies may consider the brand's accident rate when evaluating the risks underwritten for specific vehicle models.
Earlier this year, Tesla, which has the highest accident rate, recalled over 360000 cars due to concerns that its autonomous driving technology, Autopilot, could lead to a collision. Last week, Tesla announced a recall of over 2 million cars sold in the United States and nearly 200000 cars sold in Canada, also related to the Autopilot software.
According to an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States, Tesla's Autopilot function has safety flaws and may increase the risk of collisions. And Tesla owners are prone to abusing this autonomous driving function, often not even knowing whether it is in an on or off state.
Tesla denied the authenticity of the investigation after it was released, but voluntarily recalled the vehicle and improved the safety of the Autopilot through software updates, reminding drivers to double their attention to road conditions.
Tesla refused to respond to the Lending Tree report. But this is not the first time Tesla has been blamed for its high incidence of accidents. Previously, a survey by American media found that since 2019, Tesla has had 736 accidents in Autopilot mode, resulting in 17 deaths.
Automotive experts have also expressed concerns about Tesla's latest Cybertruck. An automobile safety expert pointed out that the stainless steel structure and sharp edges of Cybertruck, together with Tesla's auto drive system, are likely to turn this truck into a "unguided missile".