Tesla's electric vehicles using the advanced driver-assistance system have been reported in 273 crashes. However, a Cambridge Mobile Telematics study recently said the crash rate was lower for Teslas than other cars. The study also revealed that EV drivers took more risks than those driving vehicles with internal combustion engines. Tesla's own data also claimed that drivers using autopilot were less likely to be in a crash. Considering there are an estimated more than two million people driving Teslas, 273 incidents might not seem like a lot, but it seems more than Tesla would like its consumers to know.
Tesla has been in the news a lot because of reported accidents. Last year, a Model Y was in a crash when turning left. A more serious one this year was when a Model S jumped 50 feet going too fast down a hill. A technical error caused the latter crash, but some of these former incidents are caused more by recklessness by the driver. This type of technology is still a work in progress, and while it may seem cool, some people are just not responsible enough to use it. There are also issues with the cars registering emergency vehicles while using ADAS. Teslas have been reported crashing into police cars. However, Nvidia is trying to come up with a solution for this problem by using artificial intelligence.
On Wednesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released two reports, one for "SAE Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems" and one for "SAE Levels 3-5 automated driving systems." The organization plans to release these reports monthly going forward. The reports show that Tesla made up almost 70 percent of the crashes. There have been 392 incidents using ADAS reported since last July. Eight of the accidents took place before June 2021. Six deaths were reported, and five involved Tesla vehicles. There have also been 130 incidents reported with cars using ADS, but it didn't specify which brands.
An Effort For More Transparency
Last year, NHTSA gave an order for vehicles using either ADAS or ADS to report any accidents within 24 hours. This was to understand the issues better so car companies could address them. This is a further effort to help that and provide transparency. NHTSA's Administrator Dr. Steven Cliff, said, "The data released today are part of our commitment to transparency, accountability and public safety. New vehicle technologies have the potential to help prevent crashes, reduce crash severity and save lives, and the Department is interested in fostering technologies that are proven to do so; collecting this data is an important step in that effort." It appears that the order last year has already resulted in more data. In 2016, the NHTSA looked into 42 crashes that could have been using driver assistance. Thirty-five of those involved Tesla cars. It shows what limited data the organization was working with back then.
Tesla has proven that it doesn't like to admit faults since it has a habit of waiting to announce recalls. This transparency and accountability is a good thing for consumers. It's also a good thing for Tesla's technology. It's clear it's still in beta form, but with work, it could be what Elon Musk has always imagined. It's just not there yet. The more Tesla engineers know about the problems causing these accidents, the easier it will be for them to fix them.