Investigation reveals Tesla’s Autopilot, Full Self-Driving linked to hundreds of crashes, dozens of deaths

An investigation carried out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has revealed that Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving are linked to hundreds of crashes and dozens of deaths in the United States of America.

The NHTSA found out that Tesla’s driver-assist features are insufficient at keeping drivers engaged in the task of driving, which can often have fatal results.

The agency looked into 956 crashes in total, beginning in January 2018 and continuing until August 2023. 29 people lost their lives in those collisions, some of which included other cars colliding with the Tesla.

Additionally, “the frontal plane of the Tesla struck a vehicle or obstacle in its path” in 211 crashes. These were frequently the worst crashes, with 14 people killed and 49 injured.

READ ALSO:Tesla recalls cybertruck over accelerator pedal issue

NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation said in a statement released Friday that it completed “an extensive body of work,” which turned up evidence that “Tesla’s weak driver engagement system was not appropriate for Autopilot’s permissive operating capabilities.”

“This mismatch resulted in a critical safety gap between drivers’ expectations of [Autopilot’s] operating capabilities and the system’s true capabilities,” the agency wrote. “This gap led to foreseeable misuse and avoidable crashes.”

Drivers using Autopilot or the system’s more advanced sibling, Full Self-Driving, “were not sufficiently engaged in the driving task,” and Tesla’s technology “did not adequately ensure that drivers maintained their attention on the driving task,” NHTSA concluded.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now