Participation Trophy

In a blog post published last week, Tesla claimed that its Model 3 was the safest car ever tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA.)

Seemingly in response, the NHTSA just released a very, oh, let’s call it a measured statement. The statement, which doesn’t mention Tesla by name, clarifies that there are no bonus points above a five-star rating. If you reach the top bracket, you’re good.

The statement reads:

Results from these three crash tests and the rollover resistance assessments are weighted and combined into an overall safety rating. A 5-star rating is the highest safety rating a vehicle can achieve. NHTSA does not distinguish safety performance beyond that rating, thus there is no ‘safest’ vehicle among those vehicles achieving 5-star ratings.

Bragging Rights

That seems to contradict Tesla’s post, which used NHTSA testing data to claim that the Model 3 showed a lower probability of accident-related injuries than any other car model out there. The government apparently felt the need to step in and shoot down the hype.

Look, y’all already got five stars, okay? Let’s cool it.

READ MORE: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issues statement about New Car Assessment Program’s highest rating [NHTSA.gov]

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Go here to see the original:
Government to Tesla: We Never Said the Model 3 Was the “Safest Car Ever”