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Tesla has the highest fatal accident rate of all auto brands, study finds

(www.roadandtrack.com)
307 points MBCook | 8 comments | 15 Nov 24 20:15 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
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legitster ◴[15 Nov 24 20:46 UTC] No.42150811[source]▶
In a big picture, this makes sense. You can load the cars with safety features, but it doesn't change the fact that these cars are very heavy, very fast, and loaded with features that reward distracted driving. In the US at least, the top killer of drivers are trees on the side of the road.
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littlestymaar ◴[15 Nov 24 21:07 UTC] No.42151064[source]▶
> You can load the cars with safety features, but it doesn't change the fact that these cars are very heavy

Being heavy is actually a safety feature of sort (but just for the people inside the car, it increases overall fatality).

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1. Gigachad ◴[15 Nov 24 21:11 UTC] No.42151124[source]▶
Trees are anchored to the ground. Being heavier just reduces your ability to stop.
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2. rich_sasha ◴[15 Nov 24 21:23 UTC] No.42151265[source]▶
Maybe that's good when hitting a tree? Slower deceleration, less force.
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3. bastloing ◴[15 Nov 24 21:33 UTC] No.42151374[source]▶
Decreases your tendency to flip over. I'm astonished by all the dashcam videos out there showing collisions, usually the first thing an ice car does is flip over. Not EVs though.
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4. jkaptur ◴[15 Nov 24 21:33 UTC] No.42151376[source]▶
I think they meant that it's more difficult to stop before beginning to impact the tree.
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5. rich_sasha ◴[15 Nov 24 22:16 UTC] No.42151843{3}[source]▶
Still. If I'm going to hit a tree, I'd rather drive a tank than a motorbike.
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6. bena ◴[15 Nov 24 22:28 UTC] No.42151947[source]▶
That's more a factor of weight distribution rather than weight itself.

EVs carry their weight lower to the ground. SUVs and pickup trucks are more top heavy. Passenger cars have a higher probability to rollover, but not that much greater than an EV.

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7. JasonSage ◴[15 Nov 24 22:28 UTC] No.42151950{4}[source]▶
Cars have crumple zones which a motorbike does not.

A lighter car requires less work from the crumple zone to decelerate the car into non-fatal territory than a heavy car.

8. bastloing ◴[15 Nov 24 22:40 UTC] No.42152071{3}[source]▶
Ice cars have a much higher rollover risk compared to EVs. All the data supports that along with physics. Absolutely weight distribution. Compare the heavy battery in an EV vs the heavy motor that's up a bit higher in an ice car. Pretty much any hit over around 20mph to the front quarter panel of an ice car, truck, or SUV will flip it over.