Featured Tesla Q2 2024 Safety report:

So probably people are using autopilot more on highways where you get more miles without crashes?

 

Like others adaptive cruise control and lane keeping, Autopilot can work at slower speeds, but without the stop reading abilities of FSD, most people likely only use it on highways and stretches of road without stops.

 

This is called "selection bias". It has been pointed out for years, but we still aren't getting the data transparency needed to gauge or address it.

 

Would drivers who use AutoPilot while it is under investigation by NHTSA be subject to liability lawsuits in the event of an accident?
This was some time ago but before this system was under investigation:

Tesla driver is charged in a deadly crash involving Autopilot : NPR

Tesla Autopilot Lawsuits (klinespecter.com)

Tesla must face vehicle owners' lawsuit over self-driving claims | Reuters

 

Autopilot do read stop signs and red lights but will only warn you, not stop. I wish they included that functionality to manual driving too. It could prevent so many t-boning.

 

I use it on highways and regional roads unless the traffic speed on those is faster than 10 km/h over the speed limit (hard limit by AP on roads other than highways), then it's just TACC. I tried the Volvo lane assist on those same regional roads and after a few km, I disengaged it as it can't follow the curves on those roads.

 

I think the selection bias has been with each single autopilot crash, people say autopilot has been killing people. Instead with and without autopilot are much safer than the average car. We have a whole thread assuming that bad assumption.

Most teslas are newer cars, and older cars may be much less safe. Tesla buyers appear to be more affluent which may make them safer drivers. What can not be said is autopilot is unsafe because it has been involved in a tiny percentage of accidents where the driver should have taken over. I don't know if teslas are more or less safe than a new toyota with safety sense, but certainly autopilot is not killing the huge percentage of people in the database.

Investigation has nothing to do with if it was subject to lawsuits. Normally in wrongful traffic deaths people go after the driver and car company, as the car company has more money. But the incidents I have read about the driver should have been paying more attention so its unlikely autopilot is at fault.