Tesla’s own numbers show Autopilot has higher crash rate than human drivers

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Tesla’s claim that its Autopilot driver-assistance software is safer than a human driver.

After a fatal Autopilot crash last May, the company said the death was the first in 130 million miles of Autopilot driving—and noted that, “among all vehicles, in the U.S., there is a fatality every 94 million miles.”

The clear implication: Autopiloted Teslas are safer than human-piloted cars, and lives would be saved if every car had Autopilot.

But Tesla’s statistics are questionable at best. The small sample size—one crash—makes any calculation of Autopilot fatality rate almost meaningless.

Furthermore, Tesla compared its Autopilot crash rate to the overall U.S. traffic fatality rate—which includes bicyclists, pedestrians, buses, and 18-wheelers. This is not just apples-to-oranges. This is apples-to-aardvarks.

One statistician called Tesla’s comparison “ludicrous on the face of it.”

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Exploding The Myth Of Tesla Safety

Summary

  • Oh, those cherished Tesla myths: Supercharger superiority. Operating costs. Reliability.
  • Dare we challenge another? Yes, dare we do. Bubslug dives deep into the statistics to shatter the myth of Tesla safety.
  • No, his is not the final word. But the preliminary statistics on fatalities aren’t pretty, and Autopilot may make it even worse.
  • Meanwhile, Tesla is making deals like never before. Hurry on down to the Sales Center lot before September ends.
  • The Q3 deliveries will impress. The Q3 financial statements? Well, you can’t have everything.

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