Study confirms Tesla drivers really are the absolute worst
It turns out that Tesla drivers are not that great behind the wheel.
It’s hard to navigate the internet without seeing a Tesla involved in an accident. If you think people are simply dunking on Tesla drivers for owning a Tesla, think again. A new study from LendingTree shows Tesla drivers are actually the worst on the road, with the highest number of "incidents" compared to drivers of other cars.
For every 1,000 Tesla drivers, almost 37 (36.94, if you like to read the fine print) drivers were involved in incidents in 2024. For its study, LendingTree considers any accident, DUI, speeding violation, or citation as an “incident.”
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By the numbers: Tesla drivers are terrible
LendingTree’s findings for 2023 showed that Ram drivers were the worst, but in 2024, Tesla captured the title while Ram drivers fell to second place.
Not only are 37 out of 1,000 Tesla drivers involved in an “incident,” but 72 percent of those incidents (26.67 out of 36.94) were accidents. If there’s a silver lining to that stat, it’s that year over year, the number of accidents Tesla drivers were involved in stayed the same.
The study doesn’t identify why Tesla accident rates are so high but it does suggest rapid acceleration may play a part. Rocketing from zero to 60 miles per hour in seconds may be too much for some.
Tesla drivers are also the worst in nine states, including Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oklahoma. 
Subaru and Ram drivers are almost as bad
Tesla drivers are the worst overall, but Ram and Subaru aren’t much better.
Ram drivers had nearly 34 incidents (33.92) per 1,000 drivers, and Subaru drivers were involved in 33 incidents (32.85) per 1,000 drivers. Tesla and Ram traded places in 2024, but Subaru retained its third-place spot.
Ram and Subaru drivers also had the second and third most accidents per 1,000, at 23.15 and 22.89, respectively.
While Subaru drivers are the worst in Hawaii, Michigan, Nebraska, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin, Ram drivers are worst in 16 states or roughly one-third of the country.
Related: Model 3 vs. Model Y: Which Tesla should you buy?
You might never guess who the best drivers are
According to LendingTree, Mercury, Pontiac, Cadillac, Chrysler, and Lincoln drivers are the best in the United States.
Data shows that Mercury drivers are almost twice as “good” as Tesla drivers and are only involved in 19 incidents per 1,000 drivers.
Pontiac drivers were involved in 19.72 incidents per 1,000 drivers. It’s worth noting that both brands ceased production in 2010, suggesting there are few of them on the roads, and they may be used sparingly for errands or similar use cases. Both brands also saw their incident rates rise significantly in 2024, and Pontiac drivers have the highest DUI rate of any brand.
Final thoughts
Incident data figures into insurance rates and this study underscores why insuring a Tesla is so expensive. The data doesn’t break incidents out by model, but considering sales data, expect most Tesla incidents to involve a Model 3 or Model Y.
The real head-scratcher here may be Ram; its trucks sell well, but Ram doesn’t outsell Tesla and isn’t even the best-selling truck. As a brand, Ram only sells about half what the Ford F-Series does. Why are Ram drivers so uniquely bad?
As someone living in the Pacific Northwest, I am not surprised to see Subaru drivers ranked third on this list. If they ever rank a driver’s ability to stay within the lines of a parking space, expect to see Subaru drivers top that list by a wide margin.
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