Tesla Model 3 wins top safety rating after being treated with crash tests
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The small overlapping driver's side crash test.
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"The driver's overall survival room was maintained well," IIHS wrote after the small overlap of the driver's side crash test.
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"Although intrusion into the driver's seat was minimal, penetration of the door hinge column contributed to a moderate risk of injury to the left leg," IIHS wrote after the small overlapping driver's side test.
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The results of the side crash test.
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Paint shows where the head of the clock hit the air bag after the crash test.
Tesla's Model 3 has received the highest possible safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety after the group conducted a series of crash tests on the vehicle. IIHS named Model 3 a "Top Safety Pick +", the second all-electric vehicle to win the designation this year after Audi e-tron.
Model 3 beat Chevy Bolt, who fell short in one of its crash tests earlier this year. Bolt's headlights also got a poor rating due to excessive glare.
While Tesla's older Model S generally scored well in 2017 tests of IIHS, Top Safety Pick's ranking was missed due to less than stellar results in one of its crash tests.
IIHS subjected Model 3 to four different collision tests: minor driver and passenger side overlap accidents, a moderate overlap test, and a side collision test. The vehicle performed well in all four tests.
"Dummy's position with respect to the steering wheel and dashboard after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well," IIHS wrote after the moderately overlapping crash test ahead.
IIHS was impressed with Tesla's headlights, which illuminated the road without causing glare for other motorists. IIHS also praised Tesla's automatic emergency braking technology, which successfully stopped the car in time to prevent a collision.
Listing image by IIHS