Reported incidents involving Tesla’s robotaxis running on unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) software are rising as the company expands its autonomous ride-share operations. Chief Executive Elon Musk has said Tesla currently operates about 500 autonomous Tesla Model Y robotaxis in Austin and San Francisco, trailing Waymo’s fleet of more than 3,000 vehicles deployed in six U.S. cities.
Crash data filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that five incidents were logged in Austin last month alone. That compares with nine incidents recorded over the previous year, when Tesla’s Robotaxi platform began operating in the city. The company only started allowing passengers to ride without a human safety monitor in January.
See also: Tesla Begins Driverless Robotaxi Rides Without Safety Monitors in Texas
Based on the reported figures, vehicles operating on unsupervised FSD have averaged roughly one incident every 57,000 miles. This contrasts with Tesla’s broader safety messaging, in which it has described Autopilot as “6x safer than humans” in its incident reporting. Tesla does not provide a breakdown of autonomous miles by software version or driving environment, making direct comparisons difficult.
The company has said that most robotaxi-related accidents resulted in property damage, including low-speed maneuvers such as reversing in parking areas, though some cases have involved hospitalizations. Tesla is preparing to expand its robotaxi fleet to more U.S. cities later this year, including with the pedal-less Tesla Cybercab, a two-seater without a steering wheel, a move likely to intensify scrutiny of its autonomous driving safety record.
Source: TT