Eleven people were killed in wrecks involving vehicles with automated driving systems in the United States during the first four months of this year, according to newly disclosed government data, part of a worrisome pattern of occurrences tied to the technology.
Ten of the fatalities included Tesla vehicles, although it is unclear from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s data if the technology was at fault or whether driver error was to blame.
The eleventh fatality involved a Ford truck. The company stated that it must promptly disclose fatal crashes to the government, but it later discovered that the vehicle was not equipped with its semi-autonomous driving technology.
The latest fatal crashes are recorded in a database that the NHTSA is constructing in an effort to extensively evaluate the safety of automated driving systems, whose use has been on the rise, led by Tesla. More than 830,000 Tesla vehicles alone are equipped with the technologies on U.S. roadways. The agency is mandating that automakers and tech firms report all accidents involving self-driving vehicles and vehicles with driver aid systems that can take over some driving functions from humans.
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The eleven new fatal crashes reported between mid-May and September were included in statistics issued by the department on Monday. In June, the government disclosed data collected between July of last year and May of this year.
Six individuals were killed and five were critically injured in crashes employing automated systems, according to data released in June. Five of the fatalities involved Teslas and one was a Ford. In each instance, the information indicates that advanced driver assistance systems were in use during the collision.
Four accidents involving motorbikes were reported.
Four fatal motorcycle accidents happened during the spring and summer, including two in Florida, one each in California and Utah. Safety advocates have observed an increase in the number of motorcyclists killed in collisions involving Tesla vehicles equipped with automatic driver-assistance systems such as Autopilot.
Michael Brooks, executive director of the non-profit Center for Auto Safety, is perplexed by the NHTSA’s ongoing investigations and what he refers to as a general lack of action since Autopilot problems first surfaced in 2016.
“I think there’s a very clear pattern of Tesla’s disobedience to the (federal) safety statute, and NHTSA is doing nothing,” he said. How many more deaths of motorcyclists are acceptable?
Brooks observed that more victims of Tesla crashes are not occupants of Tesla vehicles.
“You are witnessing the killing or injury of innocent people who had no choice in the matter,” he continued.
Tuesday, a message was left requesting a response from NHTSA.
Tesla uses telematics to monitor its vehicles and get real-time crash records, which may give the impression of a higher crash rate. Other automakers lack this technology, thus their crash records may be reported more slowly or not at all, according to the NHTSA.
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Autopilot has been under investigation by the NHTSA since August 2018 in response to a series of collisions between Teslas and emergency vehicles parked along roadways with flashing lights. In June, the probe was advanced to what is known as an engineering analysis, bringing it one step closer to a recall.
In documents, the agency raised worries about the system after discovering that the technology was being deployed in regions where its capabilities were limited and that many drivers ignored the vehicle’s accident avoidance warnings.
NHTSA also reported documenting 16 collisions in which autonomous systems-equipped vehicles collided with emergency vehicles and trucks displaying warning signs, resulting in 15 injuries and one fatality.
Agency investigates Tesla
The National Transportation Safety Board, which has also studied many Tesla crashes since 2016, has suggested that the NHTSA and Tesla restrict Autopilot use to places where it can work safely. The NTSB also suggested that the NHTSA order Tesla to enhance its systems to ensure drivers’ attentiveness. The NHTSA has not yet implemented the suggestions. (The NTSB is only authorized to offer recommendations to other federal authorities.)
Tuesday, messages were sent to Tesla for comment. During the company’s artificial intelligence day in September, CEO Elon Musk asserted that Tesla’s automated systems were safer than human drivers based on crash rate and total miles travelled, a claim that several safety experts question.
Musk stated, “When you believe that adding autonomy minimizes injury and mortality, you have a moral obligation to do it.” “Even though you will be sued and criticized by a large number of individuals. Because the individuals whose lives you rescued are unaware that they were saved. And the people who occasionally die or are harmed are aware, or their state is aware, that Autopilot malfunctioned for whatever reason.”
Musk stated that Teslas with automatic systems had driven more than three million vehicles on the road.
“That’s a substantial daily mileage. Moreover, it will not be ideal. However, what counts is that it is demonstrably safer than not using it.”
In addition to Autopilot, Tesla sells “Full Self-Driving” systems, despite the company’s assertion that the vehicles cannot drive themselves and that drivers must always be prepared to intervene.
Compared to the total number of traffic deaths in the U.S., the number of deaths involving automated cars is very low. Last year, about 43,000 people were murdered on U.S. roads, the highest amount in the past 16 years, when Americans returned to driving as the pandemic subsided. Authorities attributed the majority of the increase to risky behavior such as speeding and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.