Are Electric Cars Safe?

Attorney Marc Lenahan | 888-981-0019 | Free Consult

"I love [electric cars] but, let me tell you ... they can be dangerous in ways that people often overlook."

Some electric car makers claim that their vehicles are the safest ones on the road. Is that true? Are electric cars safe?

Attorney Marc Lenahan is the owner of Lenahan Law Firm in Dallas, TX. He said that all of the advancements of vehicles like Teslas and other electric cars come with some unintended risks. The console can prove distracting, the top speeds can create dangerous situations, and the near-silent engine can make it hard for other drivers to notice you on the road.

To learn more, contact the attorney directly by calling 888-981-0019 or by submitting a contact form on this page. There is no charge for the consultation, and you never owe any out-of-pocket attorney fees.

Key Takeaways From Marc Lenahan:

Electric cars, says Lenahan, are often advertised as the safest cars ever made. Because of the minimization or outright elimination of human control, electric cars are supposed to be precise, safe driving vehicles. This can make passengers of these cars feel powerful and invulnerable—feelings that have been proven to prompt more aggressive driving on the road.

Electric cars have unappreciated safety risks that consumers should watch out for.

While electric cars have tested safety features, they should always be handled with the same caution and care as other cars. Just because a car has a braking mechanism does not mean that that braking mechanism will not fail. Or, if an electric car can “sense” another car or person in the road, this does mean that the car will always stop in time to ensure that there is not a collision. While electric cars are designed for greater ease, they should not replace an attitude of attention and focus.

Electric cars are often quieter and smoother, which can lead to a false sense of security.

When driving a regular car and picking up speed or making a sharp turn, the driver will often feel the increased motion of the car’s movements, or hear the roar of the engine or the squeal of the brakes. These are outside factors that remind drivers of their car’s condition and if an action they are performing may be dangerous to themselves or the vehicle.

However, electric cars are designed to have a quieter and smoother feel. When approaching 80 or 90 miles per hour in an electric car, you may hear nowhere near the noise that you would hear in a pickup truck. Actions that would require sharp manual corrections in a normal car may feel much smoother and safer when that correction is made for you. As a result, it can be easy for electric car drivers to forget the power of their machines until it is too late. As previously stated, a sense of security should not replace vigilance and care.

Pay attention to a car’s features and capabilities, not claims in advertisements.

Automobile makers like Elon Musk, says Lenahan, often make bold claims about their electric cars to drive up consumer hype and, ultimately, revenue. Consumers might fixate on statements that sound good—like calling a car “the safest in the world”—rather than doing their own research into how the car moves and how it might be detrimental or beneficial to them. Lenahan says that the ideal option would be for automobile makers to cut back on these statements and focus on the true capabilities of their cars. However, regardless of that, it is always important for a consumer to do their own research and make their own judgments prior to buying an electric car. By doing this, you can pinpoint flaws and weaknesses and figure out what kind of car works best for you and provides the greatest safety and usability.

Consumers should always be ready to delve deeper into products that are advertised as sleek, new, or innovative. These products may ultimately fit the consumer’s needs, but knowing more about them ensures that the consumer will not be risking their control or safety on the road.

To learn more, contact Marc Lenahan directly by calling 888-981-0019 or by submitting a contact form on this page. There is no charge for the consultation, and you never owe any out-of-pocket attorney fees.

Disclaimer: This video is for informational purposes only. In some states, this video may be deemed Attorney Advertising. The choice of lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertisements.