Tesla drivers lead accident rates in 2023: RPT

According to a new report from LendingTree, Tesla (TSLA) vehicles were involved in accidents at a higher rate than any other auto brand over the past year. Drivers of the EV were reportedly in 24 accidents per every 1,000 drivers. Yahoo Finance’s Akiko Fujita and Rachelle Akuffo break down the details.

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Video Transcript

RACHELLE AKUFFO: While driving an electric vehicle may be better for our air quality, but apparently not our driving quality. A LendingTree study found that Tesla drivers had a higher rate of accidents than drivers of any other brand of vehicle over the past year with 24 accidents for every 1,000 drivers. So Akiko, as a Tesla driver, does this seem accurate?

AKIKO FUJITA: Well, I should clarify that I have switched over from Tesla, but I’m still an EV driver. I’m still an EV driver. And we were talking about this morning, Rachelle, that the acceleration of EVs are really on a whole another level, right? I mean, I will say, just full disclosure, I probably usually go over the speed limit. You live in LA, 75 miles an hour is a little slow when you’re on the freeway.

But having said that, I don’t know. This study says, specifically, there are indications that certain types of vehicles attract riskier drivers than others. I’ll save my comments on what I think about Tesla drivers. But it’s so widely seen here that it’s hard to say that everybody drives the same, right? Everybody who owns a Tesla isn’t necessarily the same.

RACHELLE AKUFFO: It’s troubling. And really, as we’ve talked about, it’s more about, sort of, driver behavior. Perhaps you feel a little more confident to relax a little bit. Perhaps you have a few more things distracting you when you’re driving.

But it might come down to the personality of the drivers, which then shouldn’t really be attributed to the cars themselves. I mean, by those standards, you know, your Lamborghini drivers, your BMW drivers should be in more accidents. But then when you think of things, like– when you think of things like autopilot coming into play and being able to, sort of, relax a bit more and have your car do more of the work for you, maybe a little bit of that Tesla complacency and smugness when they’re driving, I could see that playing a role.

AKIKO FUJITA: I don’t know. I found myself yesterday getting a little aggressive with the Model Y next to me because I felt like they were coming past me. But we’ll save my road rage stories for another day.