Tesla takes great pride in its self-driving technology, but the company has had a rocky start with its robotaxi service. Since its launch in June, the cars have been involved in 14 crashes in Austin, Texas.
As Electrek reports, Tesla filed a report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including five new crashes in Austin. Four of the incidents occurred in January, while one happened in December.
The incidents include running into a fixed object at 17 miles per hour and colliding with a heavy truck at 4 mph. The robotaxis also ran into trouble while reversing. In one case, it hit a fixed object at 2 mph, and in another, it hit a pole/tree at 1 mph. There’s also a report of a collision with a bus while being stationary.
No injuries were reported during these crashes, with property damage the main issue so far. However, Tesla has updated a July 2025 incident from “property damage only” to “Minor W/ Hospitalization,” Electrek reports.
Tesla uses modified Model Ys to operate its robotaxi service. Initially, these cars had a safety driver next to the wheel in Austin. On Jan. 22, however, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the company had begun rides without a safety driver. According to Electrek, the change was made after the five new crashes.
Overall, Tesla robotaxis have been involved in 14 crashes since launch. Based on Tesla’s own vehicle safety report, Electrek estimates that the number is nearly four times worse than that for actual human drivers.
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Tesla said in its report that an average American driver experiences a minor crash every 229,000 miles. Its Robotaxis, on the other hand, have been involved in 14 crashes over approximately 800,000 miles, resulting in an average of a crash every 57,000 miles, the outlet says.
Tesla’s biggest rival in this space, Waymo, hasn’t avoided crashes either. The NHSTA is currently investigating an incident where a driverless Waymo hit a child near a school in Santa Monica, California. Waymo cars have also reportedly failed to stop for school buses in Atlanta and Austin. Despite these incidents, Waymo claims its driverless system “is better than humans at avoiding crashes that result in injuries.”
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Jibin is a tech news writer based out of Ahmedabad, India. Previously, he served as the editor of iGeeksBlog and is a self-proclaimed tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex information for a broader audience.
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