The first Tesla Cybertruck crash reports began showing up almost as soon as the vehicle hit the roads in late 2023.
When a vehicle weighs nearly 7,000 pounds, is made of stainless steel, and looks like it was driven out of a sci-fi movie, accidents naturally get attention. And people want to know, “How safe is this unusual truck when something goes wrong?”
The first Tesla Cybertruck crash reports began showing up almost as soon as the vehicle hit the roads in late 2023.
When a vehicle weighs nearly 7,000 pounds, is made of stainless steel, and looks like it was driven out of a sci-fi movie, accidents naturally get attention. And people want to know, “How safe is this unusual truck when something goes wrong?”
Why Cybertruck’s Stainless Steel Body Matters for Safety
The Cybertruck’s standout feature might also be its most debated safety element. Unlike most modern vehicles that use aluminum and special materials designed to fold and soak up crash energy, the Cybertruck has a rigid stainless steel outer shell that Tesla calls an “exoskeleton.” This is different from how cars have been built for decades.
Modern cars are made to bend and crush in specific areas during a crash. The front and rear “crumple zones” fold up gradually, absorbing energy that would otherwise affect the people inside, which is why modern vehicles can look completely wrecked after an accident, yet passengers still walk away unharmed.
The Cybertruck does things differently, and Tesla says the rigid structure creates a protective shell around passengers. The idea is that a stronger vehicle means safer passengers, but safety experts have known for years that just being rigid doesn’t always mean better protection for people inside.
Safety engineers have expressed concern that the stiff structure and sharp design of the Cybertruck could create safety issues during collisions. The rigid body may lack adequate crumple zones, which are essential for absorbing impact energy.
This design approach could potentially transfer more force to occupants, pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles in crashes.
What Official Crash Tests Show About Cybertruck Safety
Despite worries, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently gave the Cybertruck a five-star overall safety rating after running thorough crash tests. They used a 2024 Cyberbeast model (the most expensive Cybertruck version) for the tests.
In the front crash test, which copies a head-on crash at 35 mph, the Cybertruck got five stars for driver protection and four stars for passenger protection. For side crashes, including both a moving barrier test and a pole test, it earned five stars across the board.
The only other area where it scored less than perfect was rollover resistance, where it got four stars with a 12.4% chance of rolling over. These results put the Cybertruck in good company, as every Tesla model tested by NHTSA so far has received a five-star overall rating.
However, it’s not the only electric truck with such high marks. The Ford F-150 Lightning also has a five-star safety rating.
What a Cybertruck Crash in Texas Reveals About Real-World Safety
The truck scores high on safety, but real accidents have raised a few questions, including a cyber truck accident in Texas in August 2024. A Cybertruck collided with a fire hydrant, and the crash damaged the vehicle’s undercarriage.
The resulting battery fire took firefighters over an hour to extinguish, revealing potential vulnerabilities with battery safety.
Additionally, in other real-world crashes, there have been patterns that safety experts find unusual. For instance, regular vehicles crumple progressively, but the Cybertruck’s stiff body transfers more energy to the people inside. In these accidents, the outside showed little damage, but the force distribution inside the cabin raised questions.
What you need to note is that crash test ratings provide good data, but real car accidents often show problems that standard tests don’t catch, and each vehicle design behaves differently in actual crashes.
How Safe Are Pedestrians Around Cybertrucks?
One important thing missing from U.S. crash testing is how safe pedestrians are around vehicles. While the Cybertruck earned high marks for protecting people inside, its angular design, heavy weight, and rigid structure create obvious concerns for anyone outside of it.
The sharp edges and flat surfaces of the Cybertruck lack the pedestrian-friendly features found in most modern vehicles. Today’s vehicles usually include:
- Sloped hood fronts that reduce how hard a person gets hit
- Front panels designed to give way and absorb energy
- Specific spaces between the metal and hard parts underneath
These pedestrian safety concerns with Cybertruck accidents have caused regulators in the U.K. to effectively block the Cybertruck from their markets without major changes. Safety experts worry that the stainless-steel body doesn’t bend in a crash like normal cars do, which could mean more harm to people walking or biking.
The truck does have a warning system that makes noise when driving slowly (under 25 mph) or backing up. This helps warn pedestrians that the quiet electric truck is coming. However, this only helps prevent a Cybertruck accident and doesn’t make the truck any safer if it does hit someone.
At about 6,800 pounds — more than two Honda Accords — and with the fastest version able to go from 0-60 mph in just 2.6 seconds, the truck’s combination of weight, speed, and rigid design has many safety advocates concerned.
Cybertruck Fire Risks and Battery Safety Concerns
Any vehicle fire is dangerous, but the Cybertruck is a little different. Like all electric vehicles, it has large battery packs that can burn intensely if damaged. However, while aluminum-bodied vehicles melt and lose strength more quickly during fires, the Cybertruck’s stainless steel body mostly stayed intact even after extreme heat.
The Cybertruck fire incident in Harlingen, Texas, that took 90 minutes to extinguish showed some concerning realities about battery EV fires. There’s also an ongoing debate where some reports say that EV fire fatality rates can be higher than those of normal vehicles — though data is still being collected.
Despite concerns often seen in news headlines, the actual risk of EV fires is quite low. Studies have shown that:
- EVs have similar or lower fire rates compared to gas-powered vehicles
- Only about 0.07% of all registered vehicles in the U.S. were involved in reported fires in 2022
- In fatal crashes, EVs had a lower fire rate (about 2%) compared to conventional vehicles (about 3.2%)
However, when EV battery fires happen, they usually require more water and time to put out. Additionally, damaged batteries can potentially reignite hours or even days later, and emergency responders are still learning how to handle these vehicles as they become more common.
Important Safety Factors Crash Tests Don’t Measure
Standard car crash testing provides valuable information, but it has limits. The controlled conditions in laboratory tests can’t copy every real-world scenario, and some important Cybertruck-specific factors include:
- What happens when it hits much smaller vehicles
- Crashes from angles not tested in standard tests
- How it behaves in secondary impacts due to its unusual weight distribution
- Long-term reliability of its new safety systems
When a cyber truck crash happens in the real world, these factors might cause outcomes different from what tests predict.
Evaluating Cybertruck Safety: The Mixed Evidence
The evidence on Cybertruck safety shows both positives and negatives. On the one hand, the vehicle has earned top safety ratings in standard tests. On the other hand, its basic design approach challenges what safety experts have believed for decades about vehicle safety.
Experts suggest that while the Cybertruck might protect its passengers well in many situations, its rigid structure could perform poorly in certain types of crashes.
Additionally, the NHTSA has also raised concerns about Tesla’s driver assistance systems, though specific findings about the Cybertruck’s implementation of these features are still developing.
A car accident lawyer will tell you that a vehicle’s true safety can only be determined after seeing how it performs in many real-world accidents.
Heavier Vehicles and Road Safety
The Cybertruck is part of a broader trend of vehicles getting larger and heavier. Average vehicle weights have gone up significantly over the past twenty years, raising concerns about what happens when differently sized vehicles crash into each other.
When a cyber truck accident involves hitting a much smaller vehicle, the weight difference can create severe outcomes for people in the lighter vehicle.
As truck accident lawyers often observe, the physics of crashes between vehicles of different weights can create inherent problems that even the best safety systems cannot fully solve.
What We’re Learning About Cybertruck Safety
As more Cybertrucks hit the road, we’ll get a clearer picture of how safe they really are. Early information provides the following insights:
- Cybertruck fire incidents so far have been handled with standard electric vehicle firefighting methods
- The way crash forces spread in a Tesla Cybertruck crash differs from conventional vehicles
- Passenger protection looks strong in standard test scenarios
- Questions remain about pedestrian safety and what happens when Cybertrucks hit smaller vehicles
These observations show the learning curve that comes with any completely new vehicle design.
What Cybertruck Owners and Other Drivers Should Know
After analyzing Tesla Cybertruck crash data, there are a few facts everyone should know.
For Cybertruck Owners
Whether you already own a Cybertruck or are considering buying one, these safety considerations should be part of your decision-making process:
- The vehicle offers strong occupant protection in standard crash tests, earning five stars in most categories
- The truck’s unusual shape creates larger blind spots than conventional vehicles
- Despite strong test results, real-world cyber truck accidents may reveal different safety patterns
- The faster acceleration (0-60 mph in 2.6 seconds in the Cyberbeast model) requires greater caution in traffic
Understanding these factors can help you make safer driving decisions and better understand your vehicle’s behavior in potential accident scenarios.
For Other Drivers
If you frequently share the road with Cybertrucks, keep these important factors in mind for your safety:
- The Cybertruck weighs about 6,800 pounds — more than two Honda Accords combined — and carries much more momentum at any speed
- Its stainless steel body doesn’t crumple like most modern vehicles, so it will potentially transfer more force to your vehicle if it hits you
- When driving near a Cybertruck, maintain extra following distance, especially if you’re driving a smaller vehicle
- Note that at night, the reflective surfaces and unusual lighting can make its speed and distance harder to judge
After a Cybertruck crash in Texas, investigators noted that these visibility factors played a role in the accident.
If you’ve been in an accident involving a Cybertruck or other electric vehicle, it’s essential to consult with experienced attorneys who understand these unique vehicles.
Considering the Safety of Cybertrucks
Traditional car makers continue improving crumple zones and energy absorption systems, while Tesla has bet on structural rigidity and innovative materials. Neither approach is automatically better in all situations.
What’s certain is that vehicle safety will keep evolving as more data is gathered about real-world performance. And the unusual design of the Cybertruck ensures it will remain a key part of these ongoing safety discussions.
If you’ve been in a car accident involving a Cybertruck or have questions about vehicle safety liability, the team at Vendt Accident Attorneys offers free consultations to discuss your specific situation.
With experience handling accidents involving regular vehicles, motorcycles, trucks, and new vehicle technologies, we provide informed guidance through the complexities of modern vehicle accident cases.Our client testimonials reflect our commitment to understanding the unique aspects of each case, including those involving new vehicle technologies. Contact us today to discuss your situation and explore your options.
