Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash
Tesla Cybertruck Safety Is Under Scrutiny
December 12, 2023
The Tesla Cybertruck safety topic has drawn concerns from experts due to the vehicle’s rigid stainless-steel exoskeleton, with fears that it could pose a risk to pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles. The concerns were sparked by crash test videos presented in a recent Tesla webcast event, leading to remarks from various industry experts. Despite these concerns, Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that the Cybertruck has passed regulatory reviews, and the first batch of trucks has started reaching customers.
Adrian Lund, a former president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), stressed that the stiff exterior could cause severe injuries if people hit their heads against it. However, Musk remains confident in the safety of the Cybertruck, highlighting the vehicle’s impact-absorbing features.
Samer Hamdar, an auto safety professor, and David Friedman, a former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, expressed worries about limited “crumple zones” and potential harm to other vehicles in a crash, respectively. The European Transport Safety Council has also urged Tesla not to introduce the Cybertruck in Europe, citing pedestrian safety rules.
“We hope Tesla [doesn’t] bring this vehicle to Europe. A vehicle of this size, power and huge weight will be lethal to pedestrians and cyclists in a collision,” the European Transport Safety Council, a Brussels-based nonprofit, said in a statement.
Tesla’s Cybertruck has successfully fulfilled its in-house crash test, fulfilling its Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) obligations. However, it hasn’t yet received official safety ratings from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS).
The NHTSA hasn’t crash-tested the Cybertruck independently, as they only establish performance requirements based on FMVSS, which manufacturers ensure through in-house testing. The Cybertruck has preliminary safety ratings in the NHTSA database, primarily focused on safety features.
As for the IIHS, they’ve currently disclosed no plans to test the Cybertruck. Yet, they suggest the possibility of future testing based on substantial consumer interest in the vehicle. The vehicle might also be eligible for a verification rating in the IIHS’s verification test program, a decision to be determined by the IIHS crashworthiness team.
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