The Tesla Model Y has a fatal accident rate 5x the national average for SUVs
A recent fatal accident rate study identified the deadliest cars, trucks, and SUVs on the road. Unsurprisingly, fast and instigating performance cars like the Chevrolet Corvette made the list. However, sensible rides also featured on the list. And the ever-popular Tesla Model Y took the No. 3 spot among the deadliest SUVs.
A recent iSeeCars study names the Tesla Model Y as the third deadliest SUV in the United States
The Tesla Model Y is popular. Really popular. In fact, the Tesla sales estimates from 2023 put the Model Y at the No. 5 spot among the best-selling cars of 2023. However, the Model Y’s popularity didn’t keep it off the “23 Most Dangerous Cars on the Road” list.
According to a recent iSeeCars study, the Tesla Model Y has a fatal accident rate of 10.6 per every billion vehicle miles. Conversely, the average fatality rate for SUVs in the United States is around 2.2. That puts the Model Y at a staggering 4.8x deadlier than the average. As a result, the study puts the EV SUV at the third-highest fatal accident rate in the entire SUV segment.
| SUVs with the highest fatal accident rates | Fatal accident rate (per billion miles) |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Venue | 13.9 |
| Honda CR-V Hybrid | 13.2 |
| Tesla Model Y | 10.6 |
| Buick Encore GX | 9.8 |
| Buick Envision | 8.0 |
Source: iSeeCars
The Model Y’s fatal accident rate also earns it the No. 6 spot among the deadliest vehicles in every segment. However, the Model Y’s safety scores tell a different story. The Tesla Model Y earned a Top Safety Pick + rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for its crashworthiness, crash avoidance, and crash mitigation performance.
So why the deadly figures? Well, driver behaviors have a lot to do with these statistics. Karl Brauer, iSeeCars Executive Analyst, asserts that the type of vehicle you drive has much less impact on the survivability of your drives than your habits.
“The biggest contributor to occupant safety is avoiding a crash, and the biggest factor in crash avoidance is driver behavior. 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,” Brauer said. Paired with the Model Y’s popularity and instant torque, the EV SUV can prove dangerous for the uninitiated driver.
