How Safe Are Electric Cars?

For decades, the roar of a car engine, the smell of exhaust, and roadside gas stations have been an inescapable part of life.  In the last few years, electric cars have become commercially available. Electric cars represent one of the biggest changes ever made to the automobile since the very early twentieth century when Henry Ford’s predecessors decided that “horseless carriages,” as they were then called, should have steering wheels instead of rudders such as those found on ships. 

Unless you have driven an electric car, you have probably heard such contradictory information about them that you are not sure what to think. Are electric cars cheaper or more expensive than conventional cars? Are they more dangerous or safer? In fact, electric cars are much more similar to conventional cars than they are different from them, and safety has much more to do with the driver than the car.  If you have suffered injuries in an accident involving an electric car, contact an Alabama car accident injury lawyer.

Electric Car Safety Standards

The major way in which electric cars are safer than conventional cars is that electric cars are not filled with gasoline, which can easily cause fires and explosions in a collision. Instead of a fuel tank, an electric car has a battery.  Even though you come into contact with numerous battery-operated devices every day, including cell phones, computers, TV remote controls, and, yes, cars, batteries have their own dangers and require their own safety regulations.

Here are ways in which electric car manufacturers, following legal guidelines, prevent battery-related accidents:

• Batteries must be tested for chemical spillage, and the car is only considered roadworthy if there is no chemical spillage or only a negligible amount.
• Batteries must be mounted securely, so that they cannot be dislodged in a collision.
• The body of the car, including the passenger compartment, must be isolated and insulated from the high-voltage part of the car, so that people can ride in the car without the risk of electric shock.

Quiet Electric Cars Are a Mixed Blessing

Because they do not run on gasoline, electric cars are much quieter, which is a relief for people who live near busy roads and frequently get woken up by the sound of traffic. However, lack of noise from electric cars can present a danger to pedestrians and bicyclists. Some electric car manufacturers have designed the cars to make enough noise when moving to alert people of their presence.  If you are driving an electric car, you may need to use your horn more frequently than you would in a conventional car to alert other drivers or pedestrians that you are nearby.

Contact the Stevenson Klotz Law Firm About Car Accident Cases

Electric cars are much better for the environment than conventional cars, but they are not a magic solution for preventing accidents.  A personal injury attorney may be able to help you recover damages after a car accident. Contact Stevenson Klotz in Mobile, Alabama to discuss your case and to see whether you have grounds for a lawsuit.