Automated Driving Systems Linked to Nearly 400 US Crashes in 11 Months
U.S. safety regulators reveal that automakers report nearly 400 crashes involving partially automated driver-assist systems over an 11-month period. Tesla accounts for the vast majority of these incidents, though officials warn against direct comparisons between manufacturers.
U.S. safety regulators report nearly 400 car crashes involving partially automated driver-assist systems over an 11-month period. Tesla accounts for 273 of these incidents, which occur while vehicles operate using Autopilot, Full Self-Driving, or similar steering and speed control features. Honda follows as the next closest automaker with 90 reported crashes, while Subaru and other companies report significantly fewer incidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explicitly cautions the public against using these raw numbers to compare different automakers. The agency notes that the data does not account for the total number of vehicles each manufacturer has on the road or the number of miles those vehicles travel using the automated systems. Tesla has approximately 830,000 vehicles equipped with these features, whereas Honda claims around six million.
NHTSA collects this data under a June 2021 order that requires over 100 automakers and tech companies to report serious crashes within one day and less severe crashes by the 15th of the following month. The agency states that it is assessing how these automated technologies perform in real-world scenarios to identify emerging risks. This broad examination helps regulators determine whether new safety rules are necessary for partially automated vehicles.