Tesla drivers are the most accident prone, study finds
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- Tesla drivers have the highest accident rate of any major car brand, according to a new study.
- The study also found that Tesla drivers had the second-highest number of driving incidents.
- Separately, the company is under pressure over the safety of its autopilot feature.
Tesla has the most accident-prone drivers of any major car brand, a new study has found.
According to insurance data analyzed by LendingTree, Tesla drivers have the highest accident rate of any automotive brand, with 23.5 accidents per 1,000 drivers from November 2022 to November 2023 in the US.
The study of 30 car brands also found that Tesla drivers had the second highest number of driving incidents, including accidents and DUIs, speedings, and citations — behind only Ram Trucks drivers.
The LendingTree survey found while it was hard to determine why some brands have higher accident rates than others, certain vehicle types do "attract riskier drivers."
LendingTree insurance expert Rob Bhatt said that insurance companies may look at a brand's crash rate when deciding how risky a particular model is to insure.
"That said, a prior ticket, accident, or DUI on your driving record usually has a bigger impact on your rates than your vehicle's safety record," he added.
The findings come after Tesla recalled over two million vehicles with an over-the-air software update over fears that the company's Autopilot driving assistance software doesn't do enough to prevent it from being misused by drivers.
Earlier this year, the company recalled more than 360,000 cars over concerns its self-driving tech could cause a crash.
Analysis by The Washington Post has found that there have been 736 crashes involving Teslas in Autopilot mode since 2019, with 17 fatalities. The Post also previously reported that Tesla drivers were enabling Autopilot on unsuitable roads, resulting in serious and fatal crashes.
Tesla is also facing a series of legal claims over crashes linked to the company's Autosteer technology.
Tesla drivers can also soon expect to get their hands on the company's long-awaited electric pickup, the Cybertruck, which finally launched last month.
The futuristic truck has also attracted safety concerns, with one auto safety expert telling Business Insider that, coupled with Autopilot, the vehicle's stainless-steel construction and sharp edges risked turning the pickup into a "guideless missile."
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI, made outside normal working hours.