Will I Be Safer in an Electric Car during an Accident?

There are many reasons to drive an electric car over a non-electric one, such as lower emissions, less maintenance, and better performance. However, you also want to know you are safe while driving your car. Electric cars have a reputation for being safer than other vehicles. But is that reputation earned? 

Keep reading to find out.

Studies Revealed Dangers in Electric Car Accidents

While research into the safety of electric cars is ongoing, there are some worrying reports about their dangers. Some of the reasons electric vehicles may not be as safe as conventional gasoline-powered cars include the following:

Vehicle Damage

According to one news report, electric cars are more likely than conventional cars to cause accidents that result in vehicle damage. Researchers attribute this heightened risk to two factors: 

• Acceleration — Electric motors provide much more torque than internal combustion engines. This means electric cars accelerate significantly faster. Drivers who are not used to this acceleration may have a hard time controlling the vehicle. 

• Weight — All the batteries in electric cars make them much heavier than conventional vehicles. The more mass an object has, the more force is inflicted in a crash. More force leads to more vehicle damage and significant injuries.

Injuries to Occupants

Other research has focused on the potential dangers electric cars pose to occupants. The increased weight of electric vehicles means passengers are more likely to suffer severe injuries in a collision. Most electric vehicles are also powered by lithium-ion batteries, which sometimes ignite or explode. If an electric vehicle ignites on the road, occupants could suffer severe injuries that can be fatal.

Pedestrian Injuries

The increased weight of electric vehicles also makes them particularly dangerous in pedestrian accidents. Research shows that heavier vehicles cause more severe injuries and deaths in collisions involving pedestrians.

Electric Car Accident Statistics

Here are a few statistics about electric-car accidents that demonstrate how dangerous these collisions can be:

• Compared to drivers of conventional vehicles, drivers of electric cars cause 50 percent more collisions involving damage to their vehicles, according to a study from the insurance company AXA Switzerland.
• The same study reports that new cars weigh about 25 percent more than cars made 20 years ago. The increased weight of new vehicles, including electric cars, is a likely factor in pedestrian deaths.
• One study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that electric cars were involved in less than 0.01 percent of all accidents listed in two large federal databases. However, this is likely because conventional cars still make up most vehicles on the road.

So Are Electric Cars Safer in Collisions?

While early evidence suggests electric vehicles are not as safe as manufacturers claim, more research is needed before the verdict can be rendered. So if you were struck and injured by an electric vehicle, contact Finz & Finz, P.C. today for a free consultation with an electric New York City car accident lawyer.