Tesla’s Automated Driver Assistance System (ADAS) is under fire again, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reporting two new fatal Tesla crashes in its monthly ADAS accident report.
Since mandatory reporting began in June 2021, NHTSA has recorded 18 fatal crashes that allegedly involved ADAS systems. All but one report involved Tesla.
“NHTSA has reviewed these incidents and is conducting appropriate follow-up. NHTSA uses a number of data sources in its enforcement process,” the agency told Reuters.
NHTSA began collecting data on ADAS accidents involving Level 1 and Level 2, the latter including Tesla’s Autopilot, in June 2021. Mandatory reporting began due to the agency’s general order requiring all automakers with ADAS technology to report any and all accidents involving said technology.
NHTSA defines ADAS Level 2 as a system “that can simultaneously support lane position, speed, and following distance,” but requires human attention.
The agency’s first report, released in June this year, found that Teslas accounted for 70 percent of ADAS accidents, or 270 of the 394 incidents it received between 21 June and 22 June 2021. The agency has since reported new data monthly, with the latest report covering the month ended Oct. 15.
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Looking at the total number of ADAS crash reports filed over the past year, Tesla dominates, although this may have something to do with more Teslas being equipped with ADAS than other vehicles on the road. The Associated Press has previously claimed that Tesla’s accident rate per 1,000 vehicles is “substantially higher than the corresponding figures for other automakers,” without providing further details.
Musk’s auto company has filed 474 ADAS accident reports with NHTSA, while the next closest manufacturer, Honda, has reported 107 accidents.
Manufacturer’s Total ADAS Crash Report
Honda has not reported fatal ADAS accidents to NHTSA. Ford reported seven accidents and is the only company other than Tesla to report fatalities related to driver assistance technology.
It’s also worth noting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has some caveats with its data, such as accidents may be reported more than once, reporting is not standardized between manufacturers, or manufacturers can simply choose not to Report an accident.
Still, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been investigating Tesla for some time, beginning last year into a series of accidents that resulted in Teslas equipped with Autopilot crashing into vehicles at other accident sites. Get into a vehicle or emergency responders.
Shortly before releasing its first list of ADAS accidents, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it was advancing a preliminary study of Tesla’s Autopilot into a formal engineering analysis that could lead to a recall of 830,000 vehicles.
The agency has raised concerns about the extent to which Autopilot might complacent drivers who should be alert when using it, leading to slower response times.
Tesla insists that customers using Autopilot should keep their hands on the wheel and stay focused at all times. ®
