A recent analysis by LendingTree has revealed that Tesla drivers are more prone to accidents than drivers of any other car brand in America.
Forbes reports that the study, encompassing data from 30 car brands, found Tesla at the most accident prone with 23.54 accidents per 1,000 drivers, surpassing other brands like Ram and Subaru. The study did not delve into the reasons behind these incidents, focusing on the numbers of accidents per vehicle brand. However, this finding coincides with a significant recall by Tesla involving over 2 million vehicles in the United States, addressing safety concerns in its Autopilot software, particularly the Autosteer feature.
Breitbart News reported last week:
While Tesla’s Autopilot system is meant to keep the vehicle in its lane, drivers are nonetheless instructed to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times while observing road conditions and traffic.
But research shows drivers using Autopilot look away from the road more often, and that many of them believe their cars drive themselves which can lead to road accidents.
Florida Tesla Crash (Florida Highway Patrol)
The Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reviewed hundreds crashes where Autopilot was reportedly engaged, focusing particularly on accidents involving frontal collisions and unintended disengagement issues.
The NHTSA highlighted potential issues with the Autopilot system, suggesting that the system’s controls might not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse. The NHTSA stated that “in certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature’s controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the … advanced driver-assistance feature.”
California Tesla Crash (Contra Costa County Fire Protection District via AP)
The recent recall aims to improve the system that ensures driver attentiveness when using Autopilot. Tesla’s system requires the driver to be ready to intervene, as the technology does not permit complete disengagement from driving.
Critics, including legal experts, have voiced concerns over the fundamental flaws in the Autopilot system, particularly Tesla’s failure to limit the scenarios where it can be activated. This aspect has been linked to several crashes, especially on roads with potential cross traffic.
Matthew Wansley, a professor at the Cardozo School of Law in New York, commented: “What a missed opportunity. I have yet to see Tesla, or anyone defending Tesla, come up with an argument for why we should be letting people use [Autopilot] on roads that could have cross traffic. That’s how a lot of these crashes are happening.”
Read more at Forbes here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.