Tesla's Autopilot Technology Reportedly Takes More Drivers' Lives Than Is Known

JAKARTA - Tesla is currently facing serious problems related to their Autopilot software which is reported to be the cause of more deaths and injuries than previously known. These findings were specifically investigated by the Washington Post and its report published on June 10.

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) analyzed by the Washington Post, and quoted from the Caranddriver, June 13, NHTSA data shows that more people have been injured and killed since Tesla expanded its use of its Full Self-Driving technology.

From NHTSA data analyzed by the Washington Post found Autopilot involved in 736 accidents since 2019, including the cause of 17 deaths.

Although officially, Tesla described Autopilot as a SAE Level 2 driving automation system designed to support and assist drivers in carrying out driving tasks, these new figures show that Tesla drivers treat it as an autonomous driving technology, which sometimes ends in tragedy.

United States Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently stated in an interview with the Associated Press that he considered Autopilot's name misleading.

"I don't think that something should be called, for example, Autopilot, when his small writing says you should keep your hands at the wheel and your eyes should also pay attention to the road at all times," he said curtly.

The last time NHTSA released information about an Autopilot-related death, in June 2022, there were only three deaths linked to the technology. Less than a year later, the latest figures showed 17 deaths, with 11 of them occurring since May 2022.

The Washington Post also noted that the increase in the number of accidents coincided with Tesla's fast-developed "Full Self-Driving" software from about 12,000 vehicles to nearly 400,000 in about a year. The increase was reported in Tesla's 2022 Fourth Quarter Quarter Report, in which Tesla called it an "significant for the company".

Based on these findings, 830.000 units of Tesla Y, Model X, Model S, and Model 3 of 2014'2022 were investigated. NHTSA has collected detailed data on accidents involving driver assistance technology since 2021. Almost all of the 807 automation-related accidents in this dataset involve Tesla vehicles. And Subaru was in second place with 23 accidents.

NHTSA also reminded the public that all advanced driver assistance systems require humans to fully control and engage in their driving tasks.