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Tesla car owners are 50% less likely to have an accident with their car than owners of other car brands, a study by Cambridge Mobile Telematics shows. Meanwhile, Porsche owners are 55% more at risk of having an accident with their cars.

Cambridge Mobile Telematics revealed its research at a May 24 presentation by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, according to AUTO4SQ. The firm tracks driver behavior in millions of vehicles using car trackers, smartphone apps, and other devices. According to the data, the number of accidents per million miles driven was 91% lower for the person driving a Tesla compared to when the same person was driving another vehicle they owned.

Ryan McMahon, vice president of Cambridge Mobile Telematics, said in an interview that there are many possible explanations for Tesla's lower crash rate, though it is hard to say for sure what specifically contributes to this. People driving a Tesla were also 21% less likely to be distracted from driving with a smartphone in their Tesla compared to when they were driving another car. According to him, they were 9% less likely to exceed the speed limit.

As one of the reasons, McMahon cited the fact that Tesla drivers, on long trips, have to stop in order to recharge their car. These stops are usually longer than for combustion engine vehicles, allowing drivers to have a good rest. “That could create safer conditions for driving because of fatigue,” he said. “Longer trips are riskier, but there are breaks in the trip from an EV that require people to stop.”

At the same time, for Porsche drivers, the situation is bad. According to a study, Porsche owners are 55% more likely to have an accident with their car than with cars of other brands.
“These findings include an analysis of Tesla drivers who also operate another vehicle. These drivers are nearly 50% less likely to crash while driving their Tesla than any other vehicle they operate. We conducted the same analysis on individuals who operate a Porsche and another vehicle. In this case, we observed the opposite effect. Porsche drivers are 55% more likely to crash while driving their Porsche compared to their other vehicle.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported last week that 42,915 people died in car crashes in 2021, up 10.5% from 2020. This is the highest death rate since 2005.

© 2022, Eva Fox | Tesmanian. All rights reserved.

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Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter

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