(NewsNation) — A new report claims that Tesla’s Autopilot mode has been part of over 700 accidents over the past four years, at least 17 of which have been fatal.
The Autopilot mode comes standard in all Tesla models, but a Washington Post analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests the feature might be more dangerous than the company claims.
The data shows Tesla’s Autopilot is linked to 736 crashes since 2019, claiming the lives of at least 17 and seriously injuring five others. Four of the fatal crashes also involved motorcycles.
The report’s findings sharply contrast Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s claims about the safety of Autopilot mode, and a government report last year that claimed only three deaths have been linked to the technology.
Musk has boasted about the technology for years as the company has rolled out software updates to address safety issues like disobeyed stop signs and traffic lights.
“Autopilot is safe if the person driving the vehicle is doing they’re doing supposed to be doing, and that is paying attention to the road,” auto industry expert Mike Caudill said.
Industry experts say the report is notable but should be put into context, noting that overall, there are roughly 400 car crashes a day, which are mostly caused by driver error. Automakers are currently only at level two of five when it comes to autonomous driving technology.
“About 90% of all accidents are user related. Consumers need to understand that because we’re not at level five autonomous technology yet, that you still do need to, at a minimum, keep your eyes on the road and your hands in a position to where you can maneuver that vehicle if you need to maneuver that vehicle,” Caudill told NewsNation.
Despite the new data, some Tesla drivers continue to tout the usefulness of the Autopilot technology, saying it prevents more crashes than those that make the news.
“The car never gets distracted when it’s in Autopilot. It’s for those moments when you get distracted and the car saves your life,” Tesla driver Larry Welsh told NewsNation.
The issues with Autopilot come amid an ongoing Tesla sales campaign that is drawing new customers with price incentives.
Neither Tesla nor Musk have commented on the reports so far.