Oopsie.
Eh, annoying article title. The article tells that Tesla drivers are idiots, not that the cars are unsafe what is implied in the title
The study’s authors make clear that the results do not indicate Tesla vehicles are inherently unsafe or have design flaws. In fact, Tesla vehicles are loaded with safety technology; the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named the 2024 Model Y as a Top Safety Pick+ award winner, for example. Many of the other cars that ranked highly on the list have also been given high ratings for safety by the likes of IIHS and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, as well.
So, why are Teslas — and many other ostensibly safe cars on the list — involved in so many fatal crashes? “The models on this list likely reflect a combination of driver behavior and driving conditions, leading to increased crashes and fatalities,” iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer said in the report. “A focused, alert driver, traveling at a legal or prudent speed, without being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, is the most likely to arrive safely regardless of the vehicle they’re driving.”
I mean, calling it “full self drive” probably contributes more than a little. Or the “always speed 10%” option.
The design of the car heavily influences driver behavior, so you can’t hand-wave away with “Tesla drivers are idiots”. A major issue is that the FSD, sensors, cameras, etc. all give a false sense of security, leading to drivers engaging in more risky behavior. The term for this is Risk Compensation.
The design of the car heavily influences driver behavior
One part of the design is the “one touchscreen for everything” - which causes accidents by needless distraction for basic tasks. Our last car also fell victim to this - totaled after a Tesla driver crashed into its side due to doing stuff on the screen instead of looking to the road. I don’t quite understand how those things are still considered road legal in the EU, and still hope we’ll eventually get rules prohibiting this kind of UI, and forcing retrofit of existing cars or banning them from driving.
