Automated Vehicle Crashes Claim 11 Lives in Recent Months, Tesla Accounts for Most
Newly released government data reveals that 11 people die in crashes involving automated driving systems over a four-month period. Ten of these deaths involve Tesla vehicles, raising renewed concerns about the safety of self-driving technology.
New government data shows that 11 people die in crashes involving automated driving systems during a four-month period earlier this year. Ten of these fatalities involve Tesla vehicles, while the eleventh involves a Ford pickup that the automaker later confirms lacks its partially automated driving system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration releases these figures as part of a growing database designed to evaluate the safety of this emerging technology.
The latest numbers represent a sharp increase from data released in June, which documented six deaths over a nearly 11-month span. Safety advocates point out a particularly alarming trend of motorcyclists dying in these collisions, with four such crashes occurring in Florida, California, and Utah during the spring and summer. Tesla currently has over 830,000 vehicles equipped with these advanced driver assist systems operating on U.S. roads.
Critics express frustration over what they see as a lack of regulatory action despite a clear pattern of incidents stretching back to 2016. The Center for Auto Safety questions why NHTSA continues to investigate without implementing stricter measures to protect the public. Federal regulators now require all auto and tech companies to report any crash involving self-driving vehicles or systems that take over partial driving tasks.