If you want to know which are the safest cars in the world, you could look at the IIHS Top Safety Pick, Euro NCAP, or NHTSA, but you could also ask a car accident lawyer, and we’ll tell you which brand car is safest. To save time, my answer is Telsa, and the next safest is Volvo.
Which Is the Safest Car Company In the World, Tesla or Volvo?
In previous years, I said Volvo is the safest car in the world to drive. But I now believe Tesla is the safest car of the top safest car brands to drive on the road when considering protection for the occupants.
Tesla and Volvo may also be the best car brands for avoiding accidents.
As personal injury lawyers in New York since 1991, we have only represented one injured client in a car accident when driving a Volvo, and she didn’t have a serious injury.
We never represented anyone injured in a car accident while in Tesla, but Tesla doesn’t have Volvo’s long history of the safest cars, and Tesla hasn’t been making cars as long as Volvo. However, the videos and information here demonstrate that Tesla is not only one of the safest cars to drive but is the safest car.
Tesla may also be the safest car brand to avoid an accident. Watch how the Tesla autopilot prevents these near accidents.
Tesla Cybertruck – I’m starting this Hagerty video by Jason Cammisa at 17:35 (17 minutes and 35 seconds) about Cybertruck safety, but you’ll want to watch the video from the beginning! I ordered a Dual Motor Cybertruck four days after Tesla started taking orders and a Tri-Motor Cybertruck a few months later. I got my Cybetruck on June 3, 2024.
At 19:24, he talks about how the Tesla Model S was so strong it broke the testing equipment and the 5.0 testing score with a score of 5.4. Keep watching for the Model X, which couldn’t roll over, and the Model 3 and Y, which beat them.
Tesla Models Have the Lowest Probability of Injury of Any Vehicle
Tesla Model 3 had the lowest probability of injury of any vehicle ever tested by NHTSA. Tesla’s Model S and Model X still hold the record for the second and third lowest probabilities of injury, making Tesla vehicles the safest ever rated by NHTSA.
Tesla Model 3 2022 received an NHTSA Overall Safety Rating of 5 stars
Tesla Model S 60 KWH 2015 received an NHTSA Overall Safety Rating of 5 stars
IIHS Top Safety Pick+
MIDSIZE LUXURY CAR / 4-DOOR SEDAN
The 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ for MIDSIZE LUXURY CAR / 4-DOOR SEDAN is the Tesla Model 3.
MIDSIZE LUXURY SUV / 4-DOOR SUV
The 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ for MIDSIZE LUXURY SUV / 4-DOOR SUV is the Tesla Model Y.
SMALL SUV / 4-DOOR SUV
The 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ for SMALL SUV / 4-DOOR SUV is the Volvo XC40.
Lower Limb Injury and Safety
The lower leg compartment or footwell is the one area that most auto manufacturers have ignored. Injuries caused by the collapse and compression of the footwell compartment in a car accident often cause leg, knee, ankle, and foot fractures.
A lower limb fracture is a devastating injury that develops into a lifelong disability with pain from arthritis.
Not only do these fractures become a devastating disability, but they usually cost $30,000 to 75,000 for medical treatment. Additionally, leg, knee, ankle, and foot fractures are usually worth $250,000 to $1,500,000 in a personal injury lawsuit.
That costs drivers a lot of money because insurance companies have to pass on the cost of medical treatment and payment of the personal injury settlements for leg, knee, ankle, and foot fractures.
Tesla Footwell Intrusion
The only area where the Tesla Model 3 did not get the highest rating was for driver injury of the lower leg/foot, but it was rated A for acceptable. The Tesla Model 3 has been completely redesigned in 2024.
Volvo Footwell Intrusion
The Volvo XC40 received the highest rating in driver injury for the lower leg/foot. Tesla needs to do some work here. However, the Volvo XC40 did not do as well as Tesla in the side test.
Euro NCAP Safety Ratings
Tesla Model S 2022 received 5 stars
Adult Occupant 94%
Child Occupant 91%
Vulnerable Road Users (Pedestrians) 85%
Safety Assist 98%
Tesla Model Y 2022 received 5 stars
Adult Occupant 97%
Child Occupant 87%
Vulnerable Road Users (Pedestrians) 82%
Safety Assist 98%
Volvo C40 Recharge 2022 received 5 stars
Adult Occupant 92%
Child Occupant 89%
Vulnerable Road Users (Pedestrians) 70%
Safety Assist 89%
Tesla Model Y Drives Off 250′ – 300′ Cliff in California
This video should convince anyone about the safety of Tesla vehicles!
It’s alleged that the driver of this Tesla Y intentionally drove off a cliff near San Francisco, California, landing on the rocks 250 ft to 300 ft below the road.
The Tesla driver, Dharmesh Patel of Pasadena, California, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and child abuse for allegedly driving off the cliff with the intent to murder his wife and two children. See the article at NPR WNYC.
The video from the rescue helicopter shows the rescue
Multiple Flips He Walked Out With Only a Cut On His Arm!
Well… I may be a LITTLE LATE for the plane but BLOODY HELL @Tesla‘s are officially the SAFEST cars in the world @elonmusk
Multiple flips and landing facing the wrong way, I walked out with ONLY a cut on my arm. THANKFULLY NO ONE ELSE HARMED pic.twitter.com/UaN5zXIfQs
— Simon Pollock (née Tesla Light Shows) (@Teslalightshows) May 30, 2024
Tesla Model 3 vs. Sycamore Tree
The Tesla Model 3 is apparently crush-proof, at least from this Plane tree (Sycamore tree). The video shows the aftermath of a tree falling on a Tesla Model 3. The car is almost unscathed. The windows were intact, and although a huge tree was on top of the car, the driver could open the door and get out.
It looks like the driver just had to brush off the leaves and pieces of the tree and get on his way.
Meanwhile in China, massive tree falls onto Tesla Model 3 glass roof driver walks away uninjured. @elonmusk once said that @Tesla Model 3 is the safest car in the world. $TSLA pic.twitter.com/uIqj25hIkr
— Jay in Shanghai (@JayinShanghai) June 10, 2022
Giant Tree Falls on Tesla While Driving
Watch This Video About Tesla Glass Windows
After what happened to my wife’s encounter with a tree in her Mercedes, I think she will want a Tesla, probably a Cybertruck with Tesla Armor Glass. I have two Cybertrucks on order for me, but she wants a Model X.
What Are the Safest Cars to Fly? Fly Tesla
I fly Delta, but Tesla could be my second choice for flying. It’s a good thing Tesla is a safe car for its occupants because that’s useful after a short, unscheduled flight without a flight plan.
The driver of this Tesla was believed to have had a medical emergency when his Telsa flew approximately 85′ through the air when it hit a tree at an altitude of about 20′ and then hit the tops of a few more trees.
The towing company wrote on Facebook, “From what we were told, the driver seems to be alert with minor injuries.”
See all the photos of the flying Tesla Model 3 and the damage.
Video of Tesla Flying Through Neighborhood
This moron may have had a reasonable expectation of serving his flight in a Tesla, but he could have killed someone else and would have spent a few years in prison. One commenter joked that the police said to call the FAA.
Why EVs Are Safer
Do Drivers of EVs Have More Accidents?
Maybe. According to CNN, the Highway Loss Data Institute, an organization funded by the insurance industry, has not found higher crash rates for Tesla vehicles or other EVs based on overall insurance claims.
It should be noted that if drivers of EVs have more accidents than drivers of gas cars, that doesn’t mean that gas cars are safer cars than EVs. It just means that the drivers need to adapt to driving a car that operates differently.
It’s possible that drivers of EVs may have more accidents, especially in the first year of driving an EV.
According to CNN, Hertz said that drivers kept crashing the cars, which was one reason it was selling 20,000 electric cars out of its fleet. It should be noted that most people who rented a Tesla or other EV likely drove an EV for the first time to see if they liked it.
I test-drove a Mercedes EQS and had no difficulty adapting to the differences, but I’m experienced in operating boats, planes, and other types of vehicles. Many people have difficulty quickly adapting to the differences between gasoline cars and EVs.
CNN said that according to LexisNexis, “The increase in incidents is highest during the first year or so after drivers get the new electric vehicle, but then tapers off after that…”
EVs drive very differently. The following differences between EVs and gas cars may be the most significant reason for accidents with drivers inexperienced with EVs:
- EVs provide instantaneous power to the wheels.
- EVs are significantly faster than gas cars.
- Tesla and some other EVs have regenerative braking using the accelerator pedal to brake but require using the mechanical brake to stop quickly.
- Tesla does not turn on and off with a “Start” button. When the driver enters the car, it’s ready to go.
- Drivers new to Tesla may be distracted while driving by information on the large monitor.
Do EVs Catch Fire More Often Than Gasoline Cars?
There are many more car fires involving ICE (internal combustion – gas and diesel) cars than EVs, but there are many more ICE vehicles than EVs. However, it appears that there are many more vehicle fires involving traditional cars than EVs, even when looking at proportional percentages.
Why do people think EVs cause more fires and are more dangerous than regular cars? Because EV fires make the news more often due to the following:
- EVs are new and rarely catch fire, so when they catch fire, it makes news. Regular cars catch fire so often that it’s not a big news story. Even when 6 cars caught fire at the Sands Shopping Center on Long Beach Road in Oceanside, New York, it barely made the news.
- When an EV catches fire, it is harder to extinguish the fire. That’s a legitimate news subject, but fire departments have learned how to extinguish EV fires with new devices made for EV fires.
Two new devices made for fire departments to extinguish EV fires are the BEST device (seen here on FOX News) and fire blankets that cover the entire EV that takes one hour to smoother the fire. The fire blanket stays on the EV while it is towed away on a flatbed. Fire blankets are used once and replaced.
In fact, Tesla says there are 11 times more ICE vehicle fires than EVs.
Tesla states on its website:
From 2012 – 2021, there has been approximately one Tesla vehicle fire for every 210 million miles traveled. By comparison, data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and U.S. Department of Transportation shows that in the United States there is a vehicle fire for every 19 million miles traveled.
In order to provide an apt comparison to NFPA data, Tesla’s data set includes instances of vehicle fires caused by structure fires, arson, and other things unrelated to the vehicle, which account for some of the Tesla vehicle fires over this time period.
ConsumerNotice.org states the following facts:
- There are more than 19 vehicle fires every hour and 170,000 highway vehicle fires in the United States every year.
- 62% or almost 2 in 3 vehicle fires are caused by “heat from powered equipment, the engine or drivetrain, and sparks from friction or electrical arcs.”
- Since 2012, automakers have recalled more than 9.5 million cars due to faulty parts or other design issues that could cause a fire.
I personally know someone who parked his gas-operated BMX X5 in front of a store and found his SUV in flames when he came out of the store. BMW denied a problem with his SUV, and for a long time, his insurance company refused to pay to replace the BMX X5.
There are many articles that can be found on the Internet about parked BMWs bursting into flames. BMW initially denied any problem with their vehicles, blaming vehicle owners for the fires.
Later, according to ABC News, BMW issued two recalls affecting 1 million vehicles over six years and many models to replace faulty parts that could cause a fire. One of the recalls is for a valve heater that can cause a BMW to spontaneously catch fire when not in use. The ABC News article shows a photo of Bill Macko’s burned car and completely destroyed house when his 2008 BMW X5 ignited in his garage.
See Myth Buster: EVs Catch Fire More than Gas Cars which says it’s a myth that EVs are more prone to catch fire and more dangerous than gas cars.
Watch Crash Test Videos of SUVs, Cars & Pickups Hit by a Truck
See what happens when SUVs get hit by a cement truck in this video. Watch a Ford Bronco, Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne, Ford Explorer, Audi Q7, Volkswagen Touareg, Land Rover Vogue, Lexus LX, BMW X7, Chevrolet Tahoe, and Hyundai Creta get crashed in the rear at 30mph by a cement truck. The video shows the survival rates for each vehicle.
Video of 30mph rear-end crash of SUVs with a cement truck
Video of 30mph front-end crash of different cars with a cement truck
Video of 30mph front-end crash of pickup trucks with a dump truck
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Attorney Philip L. Franckel, Esq., personally authored this page and all articles on NYSeriousInjuryAttorneys.com.
Phil Franckel is a well-known personal injury lawyer in New York since 1989. He is a Founding Partner of 1-800-HURT-911, LLP®, the Personal Injury Dream Team™, and a former Member of the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. He has an Avvo Top 10 Rating, Avvo Client’s Choice Award with all 5-star reviews, Avvo Top Contributor Award, Multi-Million Dollar Trial Lawyers Award, and others. See Mr. Franckel’s bio for areas of expertise.
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