By Michael Elkins
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) accounted for 273 of 367 crashes involving automated driver-assist, reported by 12 auto companies to NHTSA between July 2021 and May 15 of this year, according to the NHTSA.
“These technologies hold great promise to improve safety, but we need to understand how these vehicles are performing in real world situations,” NHTSA Administrator Steve Cliff told reporters ahead of the release of the data. At the same time, NHTSA said the figures shouldn’t be used to make safety conclusions.
The data lacks contextual information needed to establish a rate of incidents, such as the number of vehicles in each manufacturer’s fleet that were equipped with driver-assist systems, how often drivers use them, or the number of miles driven. Crash reports may also be duplicative, it said.
NHTSA said that, even with its limitations, the data will help better understand how the systems are performing, potential risks to pedestrians and other vulnerable road users, rule-making efforts and enforcement actions.
“This will help our investigators quickly identify potential defect trends that could emerge, some of which will warrant further explore exploration,” Cliff said.
The agency will update the data on its website monthly.