TESTING SHOWS GUARDRAILS CAN’T STAND UP TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Electric vehicles used to be a bit of a novelty on the roads, but they continue to grow in popularity. You’ll find charging stations at the grocery store, the shopping mall — even the public library. Almost seven percent of all new vehicle sales are electric vehicles.

Safety is a major factor for some new car buyers, and some believe electric vehicles are safer than traditional cars. They are equipped with features such as crash avoidance technology and have a lower risk of fire than traditional cars, but they are heavier. Electric vehicles typically weigh 20-50% more than gasoline-powered vehicles.

Researchers at the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility at the University of Nebraska have started to look at what that extra weight might mean in a crash.

We asked the researchers about the importance of the tests.

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“It’s very critical to all of you, the motorists, my family, my colleagues,” said Ronald Faller, director of the facility. “We do this work to save lives and reduce injuries.”

The crash tests showed that the guardrails along roads and bridges across the country are no match for these heavier vehicles. The safety structures failed.

“We need to catch up so that we can continue to protect all of you the motorists as you commute every day,” said Faller.

The test showed that the vehicle was contained, and everyone who might have been inside would have been OK. But still, the concrete barrier slid.

“There is a concern in that our hardware that we design is not yet designed for this size of a vehicle,” said Faller.

That failure could impact not only those in the car, but also highway workers who place concrete barriers for protection.

Drivers weigh in

Cecilia Baty is a Tesla driver.

“It’s fun to drive,” said Baty. “Smooth. Quiet. I mean, it’s a pretty great car.”

Her Tesla is her second electric vehicle and she told us she would never go back to a traditional car.

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She loves the safety features.

“When you’re driving and you put your (blinker) on, a little picture of the left side of your car comes up. It is an added check to make sure that there’s no one right there,” said Baty. She said if there is someone there, the car will warn her with “beeps and red lines and stuff.”

“If you get into an accident with this thing, you are not paying attention at all,” said Cecila.

Testing the Tesla

Researchers recently tested a Tesla similar to one Cecilia drives with a common guardrail.

“We found that the structure and geometry of the front end allowed it to actually underride the guardrail system and penetrate under and through, and then hit debris behind it,” said Faller.

It’s important to remember that overall, EVs do well in crash tests, but this latest research suggests electric vehicles respond differently to safety systems designed with traditional sedans in mind.

In one crash test, researchers first thought the electric vehicle had performed well, but sensors showed the jolt for riders inside the car was out of the normal safety range.

“Honestly, we were not expecting that,” said Faller. “We thought this would be a smooth demonstration.”

While researchers are getting some valuable information, it’s just one very small sample.

It appears that no one is keeping track of crashes involving EVs and guardrails specifically.

Faller said more study is needed. “We need more data to understand the difference at this point.”

Rivian sent KCTV5 the following statement on its safety evaluation:

The Rivian R1T has again been given a 2024 Top Safety Pick+ rating by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This makes the R1T one of the safest vehicles on the road today. Rivian’s Advanced Driver Assistance System helps to make the roads safter, not just for Rivian owners, but for pedestrians and all road users.”

Rivian spokesperson

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2024-09-16T18:29:41Z dg43tfdfdgfd