Sometimes the data speaks, and sometimes it punches you in the face.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the Tesla Vehicle Safety Report.
In Q3 2024, cars running on Tesla’s Autopilot had one crash per 7 million miles travelled vs. the US average of one accident per 670,000 miles travelled. In the most literal sense, Tesla’s Autopilot is an order of magnitude safer than the average.
Looking at my own situation, I have a “normal” second-hand car. It’s ten years old and has no frills; no lane assist, no blindspot signals, and certainly no autopilot.
But given the lifetime risk of dying in an automobile accident is 1 in 93, the next time I buy a car I need to ask myself: what am I willing to pay to reduce my automobile mortality risk by an order of magnitude? Perhaps the Tesla will end up feeling cheap when compared to the peace of mind it provides.