Tesla Robotaxi Crash Rate in Austin 12.5 Times Higher Than Human Drivers

Tesla recently reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration another crash involving its Robotaxi fleet in Austin, marking the 12th incident since the program’s launch in October. Notably, this accident occurred despite the presence of a human safety supervisor, as Tesla plans to gradually phase out these safety monitors. The December 10th incident involved a Robotaxi in autonomous mode being struck by another vehicle that ran a red light. Despite the recent spate of accidents, Tesla maintains its position that its autonomous driving system is safer than human drivers and plans to expand the Robotaxi service to more cities in the coming months. This series of events has drawn intense scrutiny from regulators and the public regarding autonomous vehicle safety, particularly as Tesla seeks to reduce human oversight.