Tesla most accident prone car, most frequent to crash among 30 most popular brands, finds study

In a recent analysis of 30 car brands conducted by online lending marketplace LendingTree, Tesla drivers emerged with the highest accident rate among all brands.

The study, based on tens of millions of insurance quotes between November 2022 and November 2023, revealed that Tesla drivers experienced 23.54 accidents per 1,000 drivers. Ram truck drivers closely followed, with an accident rate of 22.76.

While Tesla claimed the top spot for accidents, the award for the worst overall drivers went to Ram, which had the highest incident rates when considering accidents, DUIs, speeding tickets, and other citations. Tesla ranked a close second in this comprehensive assessment.

The findings coincide with the recent recall of two million Tesla vehicles due to safety concerns related to the company’s Autopilot driver assistance software.

Autopilot has been under regulatory scrutiny for years, with critics arguing that Tesla’s marketing may mislead drivers into believing their vehicles can operate autonomously.

LendingTree’s analysis, based on insurance quotes, does not conclusively determine the causes of the accidents or assign fault. However, it does shed light on patterns and trends among drivers of different car brands.

The analysis suggests that Tesla’s appeal to thrill-seekers seeking sports car-level acceleration may contribute to its higher accident rate. Additionally, insuring these high-performance vehicles tends to be expensive.

LendingTree’s insurance expert, Rob Bhatt, commented on the findings, stating, “Most people who drive minivans seem more interested in getting their kids around town safely than those who are in zipping around in a high-horsepower vehicle.”

In terms of DUIs, BMW emerged as the car brand with the highest rate, with 3.13 DUIs per 1,000 drivers. Ram came in second with a DUI rate of 1.72.

Surprisingly, Tesla drivers performed well in this category, ranking 20th with a lower DUI rate.

(With inputs from agencies)