Safety experts were alarmed after watching crash test videos of the truck.
Hit by a truck Tesla Cybertruck With its angular design characterized by sharp edges and flat panels, the stainless steel exterior and its significant weight, it has raised concerns among safety experts regarding the potential impact on pedestrians in the event of a collision.
The Tesla Cybertruck's sharp edges and solid body raise concerns about pedestrian safety
According to Tesla, the Cybertruck's stainless steel body panels are specially designed to absorb shocks, and feature special ribs on the front and rear ends to dissipate energy during collisions.
In addition, Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, expressed a high level of confidence in the safety of the Cybertruck , stressing that it will outperform other trucks in terms of safety for both passengers and pedestrians. He also confirmed that it had undergone a regulatory review.
However, despite these reassurances, safety experts continue to express concerns about the truck's unconventional design and how it could impact its safety credentials.
Questioning the safety of the Tesla Cybertruck on the road on pedestrians
- According to Reuters, professors and safety officials who monitored online crash tests of the Tesla Cybertruck remain skeptical, and point out that they need the data to draw “firm conclusions .”
- Adrian Lund, former president of the IIHS , expressed concern: "The big problem is that if they make the skin of the car too tough with thick stainless steel, when people hit it they will do more damage."
- Samer Hamdar, an auto safety professor at George Washington University, expressed concerns about the limited crumple zones in the all-electric truck. However, he acknowledged that other features such as a “shock absorption mechanism” could address these concerns.
- Conversely, Julia Griswold, director of the Center for Safe Transportation Research at Berkeley at the University of California, raised concerns about the truck's weight and high acceleration, and how dangerous it is to others.
- In a related context, the non-profit European Transportation Safety Board issued a statement expressing its hope that Tesla would not introduce the Cybertruck to Europe.
- They added, "A vehicle of this size, strength, and weight will pose a great danger to pedestrians and cyclists in the event of a collision."
- However, it should be noted that the same concern could apply to many full-size American trucks, which are much larger than most vehicles typically found on European roads.
The danger of a Tesla truck to other vehicles in accidents
Tesla's chief engineer addressed this issue in an interview with Top Gear , acknowledging that European safety regulations regarding pedestrian safety could pose challenges to the introduction of Cybertruck With the sharp edges of Europe.
In fact, the potential risks associated with the Tesla Cybertruck extend beyond cyclists and pedestrians, as other vehicles could be affected as well.
David Friedman, former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ( NHTSA ), echoed this concern, saying, "If you were involved in a collision with a Tesla vehicle, their vehicles would be less affected by the resisting body and all the damage would fall on the other vehicle."
While it is necessary to wait for a comprehensive safety evaluation before forming a final opinion on the matter, potential buyers of the Cybertruck will likely not be deterred by the concerns mentioned above.