Tesla drivers in the US were involved in accidents at a higher rate than drivers of any other brand of vehicle last year, according to a new study of 30 car brands by LendingTree.
Researchers analysed quotes from people looking to insure their own vehicles and did not include accident or incident data involving drivers of rental cars, a LendingTree spokesperson told CNBC via email on Tuesday.
The study said: “It is difficult to pinpoint why certain brands may have higher accident rates than others. However, there is evidence to suggest that certain types of vehicles attract riskier drivers than others.”
Tesla drivers had the worst accident rate in the US, with 24 accidents per 1,000 drivers between mid-November 2022 and mid-November 2023, followed by Ram.
drivers, who were involved in about 23 crashes, and Subaru drivers, who were involved in about 21 crashes per 1,000 drivers during the year.
In contrast, Pontiac, Mercury and Saturn drivers were all involved in fewer than 10 accidents per 1,000 drivers during the study period.
BMW drivers were the most likely to drink and drive, the researchers found. They were involved in about 3 drink-driving incidents per 1,000 drivers per year, about twice the rate of Ram drivers, who were the second worst drivers in this respect.
For overall driving incidents, which include not only accidents but also DUIs, speeding and other citations, Ram drivers had the highest incident rate, while Tesla drivers had the second-highest incident rate in the US.
Accidents, DUIs, speeding and other citations can all lead to higher insurance rates for drivers. Lending Tree found that a speeding ticket can increase the price of car insurance by 10% to 20%, accidents can increase rates by around 40%, while DUIs can lead to a rate increase of 60% or more.
Lending Tree’s findings on drivers with the highest rates of accidents and incidents by vehicle brand follow a recall of Tesla’s Autopilot software in the US, affecting around 2 million of the company’s electric vehicles.
Tesla EVs come standard with an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) marketed as Autopilot. The company also sells more extensive driver assistance packages in the US called Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (or FSD) options. Those who pay for FSD can also test software features that have not yet been fully debugged on public roads.
Tesla’s ADAS technology is designed to help drivers with steering, acceleration and braking. CEO Elon Musk claimed in 2021 that a Tesla driver using Autopilot was about 10 times less likely to crash than a driver of an average car. While Tesla publishes its own safety reports, the company has not allowed third-party researchers to evaluate its data to confirm or refute such claims.
Musk has also touted Tesla’s systems as if they are already, or soon will be, safe to use hands-free – but Autopilot and full self-driving systems still require Tesla drivers to remain alert to the road and ready to steer or brake at any time.
A two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (or NHTSA) found that Tesla’s Autosteer feature, which is part of Autopilot and FSD, had safety defects that could cause an “increased risk of a collision”. The NHTSA said it found that Tesla drivers can too easily misuse the cars’ autosteer feature and may not even know whether it is engaged or disengaged.
According to filings with the federal auto safety regulator, Tesla disagreed with NHTSA’s findings, but agreed to conduct a voluntary software recall and promised to make safety improvements to Autosteer with “over-the-air” updates. The updated software will nudge drivers to pay more attention to the road and lock out drivers from using Autopilot if Tesla’s systems detect irresponsible use.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment on the Lending Tree study and why the accident and incident rates among Tesla drivers in the US might have been so high last year.
