When it comes to safety, Tesla finds itself in an interesting position. For starters, the company finds itself in the news every time a Tesla happens to get into an accident, a dynamic which Elon Musk recently said is incredibly hypocritical. To wit, Musk just this week took to Twitter and said: “It’s super messed up that a Tesla crash resulting in a broken ankle is front page news and the ~40,000 people who died in US auto accidents alone in past year get almost no coverage.”
Media coverage of Tesla accidents aside, there’s no denying that Tesla vehicles are engineered to be some of the safest cars on the planet. Hardly a controversial point, both the Model S and the Model X garnered exemplary safety ratings following their release. And now joining their ranks is the Model 3.
Recently, the Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) put the Model 3 through some tests and gave the vehicle a “Superior” rating with respect to front crash avoidance.
Specifically, the IIHS found that the Model 3’s automatic braking worked extremely well while traveling at both 12 mph and 25 mph.
As noted on the nonprofit’s website, the IIHS awards points based on how emergency systems can slow a vehicle down before coming into contact with an object — in this case, an inflatable car dummy.
The Tesla Model 3 was granted a perfect score, earning points for its Forward Collision Warning, its low-speed autobrake, and its high-speed autobrake systems. During its 12 mph collision avoidance test, the Model 3 was able to reduce its speed by more than 10 mph, and in in the 25 mph test, the compact electric car was able to exhibit a speed reduction of over 22 mph.
Aside from front crash avoidance, the IIHS will continue to test other safety facets of the Model 3 in the coming weeks. And given the high marks received by both the Model S and the Model X, it stands to reason that the Model 3’s final safety rating will impress.
