According to a survey carried out by Axa, the insurance company, over 50% more traffic accidents involve electric cars when compared to the number involving traditional combustion petrol or diesel engines. Matt Wetherington, a leading Atlanta car accident lawyer, says the data shows that the technology is not the fault here. It's more to do with the drivers and how they are responding to the new technology.
More Responsive
Electric vehicles have a different feel to the acceleration compared with petrol and diesel cars. It's described as being sharper and faster and can catch out even experienced drivers when they first get behind the wheel of an electric car, and this can lead to accidents. Of course, environmental concerns are pushing people towards electric vehicles, so if we're not careful, the problem could continue to increase. The head of accidents and prevention Michael Pfaffi of Axa has spoken about the difference, and some crash test data from the company also shows just how quickly electric cars can accelerate.
Different Driving Style
One approach is educating drivers about changing their style of driving. Agile acceleration will come as a shock to many people and can lead to taking off faster than intended. This means the old style of pushing the pedal to the floor to make a quick getaway from traffic lights all on roundabouts can lead to rear-ending another vehicle because the take-off is too quick. Drivers need to be encouraged to take their time to get to know the vehicle and practice safe speed, pulling away without over-accelerating accidentally. Unfortunately, if an electric vehicle is involved in a collision with a traditional petrol or diesel engine car, it does come off better because it's much heavier. The batteries weigh considerable amounts, and in accidents, delete damage occurs to the weightier vehicle. However, that doesn't make it safe, but insurance companies seem to agree that it is the leading cause of problems when an electric vehicle takes off too fast from a standing start and hits the vehicle in front.
Batteries Can Combust
One risk of being involved in an electric car collision is that the batteries can catch fire. If they are hit from behind, or even if the driver is too aggressive, going over speed, bumps and other uneven surfaces, the batteries can combust. They are located at the bottom of the car, so care needs to be taken. The problem with lithium-ion batteries is that putting out a fire is extremely difficult. You may just think there are a couple of batteries in your car, but an electric vehicle usually contains over 1000 batteries, and to extinguish a fire, the only solution used by the fire brigade is to submerge the car in the water and leave it there for many days. Worryingly this doesn't always solve the problem, as there are plenty of cases where once the vehicle is removed from the bath, it simply catches fire again. This does present a huge challenge to the emergency services and, of course, the vehicle manufacturers, but as yet, there is no solution.
