The Tesla Cybertruck draws lots of attention for all kinds of reasons, and one dashcam video shows the double-edged sword of one of the electric vehicle's safety features.
The Cybertruck features a steel body and armored and acoustic glass, and it weighs 6,843 pounds. Like other trucks and large vehicles, it can withstand a lot and avoid sustaining much damage in a crash. But that means the other vehicle may be at greater risk.
In a TikTok shared by WhamBaamTeslacam (@whambaamteslacam), a seemingly minor collision between a Cybertruck and a sedan resulted in just scratches to the truck's bumper but major damage to the car, which had a crumpled hood.
@whambaamteslacam OLD LADY CRASHES INTO TESLA CYBERTRUCK #crash#caughtoncamera#dashcam#tesla#cybertruck#news#foryou#entertainment#baddrivers#whambaamteslacam#foryoupage#fy ♬ original sound - WhamBaamTeslacam
"[The] Cybertruck was almost completely untouched," a voiceover says.
No one was hurt in the Fresno, California, incident, Fox 26 reported.
Tesla's website touts the truck's "ultra-hard stainless-steel exoskeleton," which it says reduces dents, damage, and corrosion. It takes just 2.6 seconds for the truck to go from 0 to 60 mph.
Like similar trucks and SUVs, the Cybertruck is dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers. That's because it's heavy, high-riding, and quick, as The Verge reported, stating, "Trucks and SUVs with tall, flat fronts and high hoods are more deadly for pedestrians than more compact vehicles."
The outlet also pointed out that EV batteries significantly increase the weight of these vehicles, another risk factor tallied by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Other safety issues that make increasingly bigger vehicles more deadly are a result of blindspots, as Consumer Reports detailed. This has led to more pedestrian deaths in the United States over the last decade-plus. Since that figure hit a low in 2009, it rose 83% to 7,522 people in 2022, according to the IIHS.
The change marks a stark contrast with European countries, where pedestrians and cyclists have been safer in recent years.
There is no crash or independent testing data available on the young Cybertruck, but the behemoth is concerning to experts and onlookers alike.
As one TikToker said, "So a highway crash means certain death for anyone not in the cybertruck?"
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