Teslas Involved In 736 Crashes That Killed 17 Persons

Cars using Tesla's Autopilot mode have been involved with 736 crashes causing 17 deaths since 2019, an analysis from The Washington Post revealed, Olivia Rosane and Common Dreams reported for Raw Story.

Photo Insert: Tesla by far leads the industry in both crashes and deaths involving driver-assistance technology, accounting for the "vast majority" of the first and "almost all" of the latter.

The Post said that their numbers, taken from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data, were higher than previously reported and reflected a significant uptick in both crashes, serious injuries, and deaths over the last four years.

"Tesla is having more severe—and fatal—crashes than people in a normal data set," former NHTSA senior safety adviser Missy Cummings, who is now a professor at George Mason University's College of Engineering and Computing, told The Washington Post of the findings.

NHTSA began monitoring crashes involving vehicles using driver-assistance technology in 2021, after a federal order mandating companies report these incidents. The fact that a crash occurred does not mean the new technology was to blame, NHTSA said.

Tesla by far leads the industry in both crashes and deaths involving driver-assistance technology, accounting for the "vast majority" of the first and "almost all" of the latter, The Washington Post observed.

A graph shared by the Post shows Tesla's bar towering over all other car makers combined.

"Those complaining about the media focusing too much on Tesla crashes should examine this graph," David Zipper, a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School who focuses on mobility, cities, and technology, tweeted in response to the findings.

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