Regulators are still debating whether self-driving capabilities on electric cars are safe to use considering the number of incidents and lawsuits that it has caused, but Tesla has already claim that drivers are 11 times less likely to get into vehicular accidents when using the automated feature.
Tesla's Statistics Leaves Out Important Stats
Robotaxi companies have been claiming that automated ride-hailing will be a safer way of transportation because it eliminates human error, but many would argue that it's the lack of human reaction that has caused many inconveniences and accidents so far.
Now, Tesla advertises that Autopilot is 11 times safer for drivers, but the EV giant is ignoring key statistics for it to apply to all manners of driving. In its claims, it says that there is only one recorded crash for 7.63 million miles driven by US drivers with Autopilot on.
Furthermore, Tesla claims that it reported one crash for every 955,000 miles driven by customers who did not enable any form of driver assistance features. While the ratio of the given numbers supports the company's claims, they aren't the full story, as per Gizmodo.
For instance, Autopilot is mostly used on highways only, so comparing Autopilot records to National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports won't be accurate, given that most accidents occur on city roads more often.
The NNTSA also accounts for other vehicles like trucks, buses, and older car models. Going as far back as 2016, there have already been multiple incidents involving Autopilot. Some walked away with injuries while others died at the scene of the crash.
From then up to now, Tesla has faced over a dozen cases regarding its Autopilot feature in the US alone. The NHTSA also claims that Autopilot has already been linked to over 200 crashes and 29 deaths, as well as investigating 50 more crash reports linked to the assistive driving feature.
Some of the reports point to driver negligence. In case you don't know, Tesla advised that drivers should still pay attention even if Autopilot or FSD is on and keep their hands on the wheel to maintain control of their vehicle. Some drivers were said to be preoccupied leading to the crashes.
It Goes Beyond Autopilot
While Autopilot comes with its own dangers, a study says that electric cars in general might be more dangerous for pedestrians than combustion engine cars, and there are several reasons why that is the case.
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine professor and one of the authors of the study, Phil Edwards stated that "electric cars are a hazard to pedestrians because they are less likely to be heard than petrol or diesel cars," as per The Guardian.
Given that pedestrians have gotten used to navigating the road by listening to traffic such as the hum of an engine, the silence that EVs provide can prove to be dangerous. "If you're moving to an electric car, remember it's a new kind of vehicle," Edwards continued.
