Regulators Report Nearly 400 Crashes Involving Partially Automated Driving Systems
U.S. safety regulators reveal that automakers report nearly 400 crashes over 11 months involving partially automated driver-assist technology. Tesla accounts for the vast majority of these incidents, though officials warn against direct comparisons between manufacturers.
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 273 of these incidents, which occur while vehicles use systems like Autopilot or Full Self-Driving that control speed and steering. Honda follows as the next closest manufacturer with 90 reported crashes, while Subaru reports 10 and all other automakers report five or fewer.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cautions the public against using these raw numbers to compare automakers directly. The agency notes that the data does not account for the total number of vehicles each manufacturer has on the road or the miles those vehicles travel. Tesla, for example, has approximately 830,000 vehicles equipped with these systems, 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-serious crashes by the 15th of the following month. The agency states that as it gathers more data, it will be able to identify emerging risks and trends to determine if new regulations are necessary for these advanced driving technologies.