
School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations
Exploration of the Traffic Safety of Battery Electric Vehicles: A Case Study of Tesla Vehicle-Involved Crashes in Pennsylvania, USA
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-25-2024
Abstract
After decades of efforts, the number of battery electric vehicles (BEV) has increased greatly around the world. Meanwhile, their unique technical features also bring many new traffic safety challenges. Using traffic crash data from Pennsylvania from 2018 to 2021, this study aims to identify characteristics and trends of BEV crashes by comparing those crashes involving Tesla vehicles (the premier BEV brand in the auto market of the United States) with crashes involving internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV). First, Tesla and ICEV crashes are compared for crash severity, collision type, spatial and temporal distributions, and environmental features. Tesla crashes show no significant difference from those of ICEVs in severity, but they have many more rear-end and angle collisions. In addition, Tesla crashes are found to concentrate in peak hours and around noon, occurring mainly in urban areas, at intersections, and on state roads. A logistic regression model is then built to identify the important factors influencing the severity of Tesla crashes. The findings are expected to provide new insights which will help researchers understand better traffic safety issues around BEVs.
Recommended Citation
Liu, Chenhui, Meiling Su, Zhuanzhuan Ma, Kejun Long, and Chaoru Lu. "Exploration of the Traffic Safety of Battery Electric Vehicles: A Case Study of Tesla Vehicle-Involved Crashes in Pennsylvania, USA." Transportation Research Record (2024): 03611981241283445. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981241283445
Publication Title
Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981241283445
Comments
© The Author(s) 2024. https://journals.sagepub.com/share/UPXKHVNNTNEZ7FZJKYFQ?target=10.1177/03611981241283445