MIT Technology says: Tesla’s Dubious Autopilot Safety Numbers

Topics and News related to Vehicle Safety Issues such as New Technologies and Recalls
MSI
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MIT Technology says: Tesla’s Dubious Autopilot Safety Numbers

Post by MSI »

From MIT Technology comes the following:
  • Tesla’s Dubious Autopilot Safety Numbers
    • Since news broke about the first fatal crash of a Tesla using its autonomous Autopilot system, the car manufacturer has been providing numbers to defend itself. The system, it says, has driven people over 130 million miles, more than the 94 million on average between fatalities on U.S. roads. Elon Musk has asserted that "of the over 1 million auto deaths per year worldwide, approximately half a million people would have been saved if the Tesla autopilot was universally available." But those comparisons are questionable, according to experts. Autopilot only drives on highways, so it can’t be directly compared with U.S.-wide statistics. And Tesla’s cars are bigger and safer than many on the road, so you’d expect fewer fatalities. A recent report suggested that automated cars may have to drive hundreds of billions of miles before their performance can be fairly compared with statistics from human drivers. Tesla seems to disagree.