For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota bZ are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Tesla Model S doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.
In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the bZ are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model S doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.
In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Toyota bZ achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Tesla Model S has not been tested.
Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The bZ has a standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Model S doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.
When descending a steep, off-road slope, the bZ AWD’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Model S doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.
The bZ has standard Safety Connect™, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model S doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.
Both the bZ and the Model S have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota bZ is safer than the Tesla Model S:
|
|
bZ |
Model S |
|
|
Passenger |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| HIC |
227 |
362 |
| Neck Stress |
130 lbs. |
196 lbs. |
| Neck Compression |
25 lbs. |
49 lbs. |
| Leg Forces (l/r) |
223/195 lbs. |
292/295 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota bZ is safer than the Tesla Model S:
|
|
bZ |
Model S |
|
|
Front Seat |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| HIC |
103 |
160 |
| Chest Movement |
.4 inches |
.7 inches |
| Abdominal Force |
86 lbs. |
115 lbs. |
| Hip Force |
237 lbs. |
339 lbs. |
|
|
Rear Seat |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| Spine Acceleration |
46 G’s |
47 G’s |
|
|
Into Pole |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| HIC |
315 |
449 |
| Spine Acceleration |
38 G’s |
46 G’s |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.