The Tesla Model S proves that it definitely deserves the honor of receiving the best NHTSA safety rating back in 2013, as five occupants of the EV managed to survive a horrific accident in Germany.
Behind the wheel, an 18-year-old female was driving her father's Model S in Pullach, Germany, along with four of her teenage friends. Going down the road at dangerous speeds, she lost control in a turn, hitting a slope. That caused the vehicle to shoot 82 feet forward into the air, roll over once when it hit a field nearby at top speed, and land back upright on four wheels.
The news comes from German website Merkur (translated), and it said of the incident that the passengers only sustained "heavy but not life-threatening" injuries. It also mentioned that they were capable of exiting the EV without assistance from first responders. However, the damage they suffered was enough to require at least two of them to be moved to Munich via helicopter for treatment.
Considering the circumstances, how the Model S prevented far more severe injuries and fatality is nothing short of amazing. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has already explained last year why the company's EVs are safer in the event of an accident: It doesn't have an engine in the front, leaving a huge crumple zone.
As a testament to that fact, photos of the incident show that the front of the EV was gravely wrecked, and almost nothing was left of it. In other words, if there were an engine there, then the occupants may not have been so lucky.
Now, the affordable Model 3 is expected to sport the same front-end design as the Model S, so that's good news for drivers everywhere. At this point, it's also worth mentioning that the autopilot system fitted in Tesla EVs can reduce the chances of an accident happening by 50 percent, according to Musk. That just goes to show how much the electric car maker's engineering work can go so far in terms of safety on the road.
