After over a year, Tesla has resumed releasing its Autopilot safety data. Historically, Tesla's “Vehicle Safety Report” compared the miles driven between accidents with and without Autopilot against industry averages. The automaker has used this data to assert that its Autopilot technology enhances safety, claiming fewer crashes per mile than the industry standard, even without Autopilot.
Critics noted the data's limitations, as it didn't account for the higher accident rates on city streets compared to highways, where Autopilot is predominantly used. Despite these criticisms, the report provided valuable insights into Tesla's safety progress.
Tesla ceased releasing this data after Q4 2022 without explanation. Now, the company has released the data for Q1 2023, revealing a significant decrease in miles between accidents compared to the previous year. This drop may explain the hiatus in reporting.
The newly released Q1 2024 data, however, shows notable improvements. Tesla reported one crash per 7.63 million miles driven with Autopilot, compared to one crash per 955,000 miles driven without Autopilot. For context, the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) from 2022 indicates an average of one crash per 670,000 miles in the US.
This resumed reporting suggests Tesla is confident in the improved performance of its Autopilot system, highlighting a significant advancement in their safety metrics.
Tesla Safety Q1 Report NEWS from: https://electrek.co/2024/05/22/tesla-finally-releases-autopilot-safety-data-after-more-than-a-year/
