Tesla Robotaxis Crash 4 Times More Often Than Human Drivers

New data shows Tesla's autonomous vehicles have been involved in 14 crashes since launching last summer.

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla's robotaxi fleet in Austin has been involved in 14 crashes since launching last June, equating to about one crash every 57,000 miles. This crash rate is roughly four times higher than the average U.S. driver, who experiences a minor crash every 229,000 miles and a major collision every 699,000 miles, based on Tesla's own Vehicle Safety Report metrics.

Why it matters

The high crash rate of Tesla's robotaxis raises concerns about the safety of the company's autonomous driving systems compared to human drivers. Tesla has also been less transparent than competitors like Waymo and Zoox when it comes to reporting crash details, redacting incident narratives and updating crash reports to indicate more severe injuries.

The details

The 14 crashes involving Tesla's robotaxi fleet in Austin include a collision with a fixed object at 17 mph, a crash with a bus while the Tesla was stopped, a crash with a truck at 4 mph, and two cases where Tesla vehicles backed into fixed objects at low speeds. Tesla has not responded to requests for comment.

  • The 14 crashes occurred from June 2025 when the robotaxi service launched in Austin through mid-January 2026.
  • Tesla reported the 5 most recent crashes in December 2025 and January 2026.

The players

Tesla

An American electric vehicle and clean energy company that has been developing autonomous driving technology for its vehicles.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

The U.S. government agency responsible for writing and enforcing safety standards for vehicles.

Waymo

An American autonomous driving technology development company that is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company.

Zoox

An American autonomous vehicle company that is developing self-driving cars.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

The NHTSA is investigating the safety of Tesla's autonomous driving systems and has also opened a separate probe into a January incident involving a Waymo robotaxi striking a child near a Santa Monica elementary school.

The takeaway

This data on Tesla's robotaxi crashes highlights the ongoing challenges and safety concerns around autonomous vehicle technology, even for a pioneering company like Tesla. It underscores the need for rigorous testing, transparency, and regulatory oversight to ensure self-driving cars are as safe as or safer than human drivers before being deployed on public roads.