Tesla's Robotaxi Crash Rate 3 Times Worse Than Humans Despite Monitors

New data reveals Tesla's autonomous vehicles are crashing at a rate much higher than human drivers, even with safety monitors in every car.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 6:31pm

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According to NHTSA data, Tesla's robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas has reported 9 crashes between July and November 2025, with the fleet traveling around 500,000 miles. This translates to roughly one crash every 55,000 miles, which is 9 times higher than the average human driver crash rate. The data is particularly concerning as each Tesla robotaxi had a safety monitor present who could intervene at any moment, yet the crash rate remains significantly worse than regular human drivers operating alone.

Why it matters

Tesla's robotaxi program is a key part of the company's future plans, but the high crash rate raises serious questions about the safety and readiness of the technology. The lack of transparency around the crash details also makes it difficult to have confidence that Tesla is learning from these incidents to improve the system. In contrast, other autonomous vehicle operators like Waymo provide detailed public reports on every incident.

The details

Tesla's robotaxi fleet in Austin has reported 9 crashes between July and November 2025, including incidents involving collisions with other vehicles, cyclists, animals, and fixed objects. The crashes occurred at speeds ranging from 6 mph to 27 mph, with one resulting in a minor injury. Tesla's own data shows the fleet has traveled around 500,000 miles, resulting in a crash rate of roughly one every 55,000 miles. This is nearly 9 times higher than the average human driver crash rate of one every 500,000 miles, or one every 200,000 miles when including non-police-reported incidents.

  • In July 2025, a Tesla robotaxi was involved in a collision with an SUV in a construction zone.
  • In July 2025, a Tesla robotaxi hit a fixed object, causing a minor injury at 8 mph.
  • In September 2025, a Tesla robotaxi was involved in a rear collision while backing up at 6 mph.
  • In September 2025, a Tesla robotaxi collided with a cyclist.
  • In September 2025, a Tesla robotaxi hit an animal at 27 mph.

The players

Tesla

An American electric vehicle and clean energy company that is developing autonomous driving technology for its vehicles, including a robotaxi program.

NHTSA

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a federal agency responsible for regulating vehicle safety in the United States.

Waymo

An American autonomous driving technology company that is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company. Waymo operates a fully driverless fleet with significantly better safety numbers than Tesla's robotaxis.

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What’s next

Tesla will need to address the high crash rate and lack of transparency in its robotaxi program in order to be considered a viable autonomous vehicle operator. The company will likely face increased scrutiny from regulators and the public until it can demonstrate significant improvements in safety and accountability.

The takeaway

Tesla's robotaxi program is struggling with a crash rate that is nearly 9 times higher than the average human driver, even with safety monitors present in the vehicles. This raises serious concerns about the readiness and safety of the technology, especially compared to other autonomous vehicle operators like Waymo that have demonstrated much better safety records.