Electric Cars: Safer Or Danger?

Electric cars have been getting more and more popular over the past few years. They have many improvements in comparison to the usual, gasoline powered vehicle. There are many different factors that draw people’s attention to the new, electric cars. One of the biggest is the drop in price for gasoline, which is replaced with a few to charge the battery of the car. There has been an increase in the number of models that are becoming electric. The major question that has sparked is whether or not these new, advanced cars are safer than a normal, gasoline powered vehicle. 

What it ultimately comes down to is the difference in the number of crashes and the number of injuries or fatalities that are incurred between an electric car, such as a Tesla, or a gasoline powered vehicle. Tesla was the company that essentially changed the game for electric, battery powered cars. They were the most updated, and furthest advanced technology that anyone has ever seen in a car. When they first released their model in 2008, they made several news stories. Since then, they have continued to raise the bar and advance their vehicles. In 2013, there were a few stories regarding crashes involving Tesla’s and that the battery caused them to have fires. After this happened, Tesla announced that they would add an underlying protection for the battery.

After doing this for the model S Tesla, when the NHSTA did their annual safety report, it received a 5-star rating in crash tests. If you look at the other ratings to other brands of electric cars, such as the Toyota Prius, they have a similar score for passenger safety, but fell short in regard to fire safety protection in the car. The market for electric cars is still progressively increasing. There are many manufacturers that are just behind Tesla, and are in the process of developing their own models. 

In a study conducted by the NHSTA, they concluded that if involved in a car crash with an electric car, your chances of getting injured is lower than it would be in a normal gasoline or diesel-powered car. So, you can conclude that the electric or hybrid model cars are actually safer to drive in, in regard to injury likeliness. However, there are some downfalls of these smart cars. While these cars are significantly quieter than normal gasoline powered vehicles, this can also serve as a safety threat. When these cars drive at slow speeds, such as in a neighborhood or parking lot, it can be difficult to hear them. This can be dangerous for pedestrians that are walking and may not hear the car. 

Overall, with studies conducted and safety features measured, it can be concluded that the electric/hybrid model of a car is considered safer to drivers as well as passengers. When creating the cars, the manufacturers have their customers’ safety as their #1 concern. With each new model they upgrade their safety features to be sure it is a safe as it could be.