Study Reveals Tesla Owners Have Highest Accident Rates, While Ram Tops List for Worst Drivers

New research from LendingTree has unveiled that Tesla owners face a higher likelihood of being involved in car accidents compared to drivers of other car brands. Analyzing data from 30 car brands based on tens of millions of insurance quotes between November 2022 and November 2023, the study reported that Tesla drivers experienced 23.54 accidents per thousand drivers, topping the list.

However, when considering overall driver behavior, Ram emerged as the brand with the worst drivers. The study, which factored in incidents such as accidents, DUIs, speeding, and citations, revealed that Ram drivers were involved in 32.9 incidents per 1,000 drivers, surpassing both Tesla (31.13) and Subaru (30.09).

In terms of geographical distribution, Ram drivers claimed the undesirable title of worst drivers in 23 states, with Massachusetts having the highest incident rate at 64.44 per 1,000 drivers. On the other hand, Tesla drivers led in 11 states, including Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Mercury emerged as the brand with the best drivers, registering 15.82 incidents per 1,000 drivers nationally, followed by Pontiac (16.24) and Saturn (16.84).

Further insights from the study highlighted that BMW drivers exhibited the highest DUI rate, with 3.13 DUIs per 1,000 drivers, nearly double the rate of the second-place Ram (1.72). Conversely, Mitsubishi (0.89), Volvo (0.92), and Mercury and Kia drivers (both 0.93) had the lowest DUI rates among the brands analyzed.

It’s important to note that the study did not delve into the causes of vehicle crashes and excluded rental vehicles from its analysis. While the research sheds light on statistical correlations, it does not provide insights into the specific factors contributing to the accident rates of different car brands.