Tesla Stopped Reporting AutoPilot Crash Stats - Why?

Thursday, December 29, 2022

Like clockwork, Tesla reported Autopilot safety statistics, once every quarter, starting in 2018. Last year, those reports ceased.

Posted by LegallyYourDead at 01:33 PM | 24 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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Ogan, using NHTSA crash numbers, Tesla's previous reports, sales numbers and other records, concluded that the number of reported Tesla crashes on U.S. roads has grown far faster than Tesla's sales growth. The average monthly growth in new Teslas since NHTSA issued its standing order was 6%, he figures, while comparable crash stats rose 21%.

The Tesla Autopilot crash numbers are far higher than those of similar driver-assistance systems from General Motors and Ford. Tesla has reported 516 crashes from July 2021 through November 2022, while Ford reported seven and GM two.

#1 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2022-12-29 12:15 PM | Reply

Insurance cost on a Tesla suggests it's not a safe car.

#2 | Posted by snoofy at 2022-12-29 12:18 PM | Reply

My Acura has a bunch of "driver assist" features but I must admit I'm not sure what "Autopilot" is supposed to do.

#3 | Posted by REDIAL at 2022-12-29 12:22 PM | Reply

Because they're beefing with the Biden Administration, whom went out of their way to snub them repeatedly, and will never give them any ammo that's not legally required to be turned over.

#4 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2022-12-29 12:48 PM | Reply

but I must admit I'm not sure what "Autopilot" is supposed to do.

#3 | POSTED BY REDIAL AT 2022-12-29 12:22 PM | FLAG:

"Autopilot" is cruise control that also follows GPS waypoints assigned by a navigation system. Tesla's is GPS + Machine Vision. It is not very good and the people that argued "Tesla will win the self-driving race because they have the most data" showcased a gross misunderstanding of machine learning in the process. Musk being one of them.

#5 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2022-12-29 12:51 PM | Reply

The self-driving cars that don't hit anything all have large, roof mounted LIDAR rigs to see what cameras cannot. Early rigs were clunky and destroy EV efficiency so the Tesla concept was to do it with cameras only.

#6 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2022-12-29 12:53 PM | Reply

#7 | Posted by LampLighter at 2022-12-29 12:55 PM | Reply

"Autopilot" is cruise control that also follows GPS waypoints

All mine does is "sort of" try to stay in the lane if you turn it on, but it shuts off after 30 seconds if it thinks you are not actually steering yourself. I think it's watching the lane markers with a camera.

#8 | Posted by REDIAL at 2022-12-29 12:56 PM | Reply

My Subaru does surprisingly well for a camera only system, but I wouldn't count on it to actually keep the car in the lane all the time.

Also the insurance is dirt cheap.

#9 | Posted by snoofy at 2022-12-29 12:58 PM | Reply

but I wouldn't count on it to actually keep the car in the lane all the time.

Especially in the winter. Hard to track lines you can't see.

#10 | Posted by REDIAL at 2022-12-29 01:07 PM | Reply

My Subaru does surprisingly well for a camera only system, but I wouldn't count on it to actually keep the car in the lane all the time.

#9 | POSTED BY SNOOFY AT 2022-12-29 12:58 PM | FLAG:

It will not see pedestrians and run them right over once you get over 19mph. Pretty good though for something that's camera only and just advertised as modest driver assistance.

#11 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2022-12-29 01:16 PM | Reply

Anybody been passed by a Tesla with a sleeping driver yet? I've only managed to spot 1 in the wild. Not sure if very brave, very dumb, or both.

#12 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2022-12-29 01:19 PM | Reply

"It will not see pedestrians and run them right over once you get over 19mph."

Okay but that's pretty much legal.

#13 | Posted by snoofy at 2022-12-29 01:22 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

It will not see pedestrians and run them right over

How the heck do you run over a pedestrian if you can't see them? :-)

#14 | Posted by REDIAL at 2022-12-29 01:25 PM | Reply

Blind luck?

#15 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2022-12-29 01:27 PM | Reply

"Tesla Stopped Reporting AutoPilot Crash Stats - Why?"

He saw how DeSantis tamped down reported Covid deaths...by not reporting them!

Genius, right?

#16 | Posted by Danforth at 2022-12-29 01:30 PM | Reply

It will not see pedestrians and run them right over

How the heck do you run over a pedestrian if you can't see them? :-)

Posted by REDIAL

That would make for an unfair advantage if they did a "Death Race 2000" sequel!

"Death Race 2000" was a movie made years ago where race car drivers were scored based on speed + the number of pedestrians you hit. IIRC, women with baby carriages scored the highest, feeble seniors using walkers the lowest.

#17 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2022-12-29 01:42 PM | Reply

The only time someone should consider using autopilot is on a lonely stretch of freeway while getting a hummer from wife/SO.

#18 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2022-12-29 01:46 PM | Reply

How the heck do you run over a pedestrian if you can't see them? :-)

#14 | POSTED BY REDIAL AT 2022-12-29 01:25 PM | REPLY | FLAG:

Drive faster. One will get in the way eventually.

#19 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2022-12-29 05:48 PM | Reply

Especially in the winter. Hard to track lines you can't see.

While LIDAR, cameras and AI may eventually prove out, my bet is that wide scale adoption of self driving cars/trucks won't happen until roadways are tagged with devices (probably embedded in the middle of the road) to help self driving cars/trucks navigate.

#20 | Posted by FedUpWithPols at 2022-12-30 05:30 PM | Reply

There was no point to tracking this because... well mostly only a fool trusts Tesla. Secondly? Autopilot also shuts off right before the accident. You know, soas not to interfere with the operator trying to avoid it. This also severely decreases the number of accidents that occur caused by autopilot.

Technically.

#21 | Posted by VictorZiblis at 2022-12-30 06:19 PM | Reply

"until roadways are tagged with devices (probably embedded in the middle of the road) to help self driving cars/trucks navigate."

It's the killing of pedestrians and t-boning semis is what's the problem.

#22 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2022-12-30 08:18 PM | Reply

It's the killing of pedestrians and t-boning semis is what's the problem.

Then keep 'em off surface roads. Restrict them to Interstates and four lane divided US Highways until the technology improves. You know, incremental progress rather than the whole shebang with a cherry on top.

... until roadways are tagged with devices (probably embedded in the middle of the road) to help self driving cars/trucks navigate.

Time for an infrastructure bill.

#23 | Posted by et_al at 2022-12-30 11:10 PM | Reply

Time for an infrastructure bill.

Exactly! Start with every interstate highway where there is no crossing traffic or pedestrians. As the technology improves, slowly migrate it to state highways. It is not clear that it will be ever be ready for densely populated, high trafficked streets.

There is a lot that can go wrong with trying to traverse our highways/streets with driverless cars as long as non driverless cars are allowed to be on them. These problems aren't likely to be resolved any time soon.

There are other automated solutions that are more near term than driverless cars. This solution would put a lot of long haul truckers out of work. More information can be found at: moveparallel.com

Air taxis (probably between small, nearby cites) are another viable near term automated transit solution.

#24 | Posted by FedUpWithPols at 2023-01-01 06:50 AM | Reply