Tesla ‘Robotaxis’ are not crashing because they are not running

Tesla reported zero at-fault "Robotaxi" crashes in the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) autonomous-vehicle data. The company's only reported incident involved a Model Y being rear-ended while stationary, an event attributed to the other driver. This apparent safety success is contradicted by live fleet data indicating a significant reduction in "Robotaxi" operations. The active fleet has been shrinking for a year since the program's inception, suggesting the decrease in reported crashes is due to limited deployment rather than enhanced safety. Tesla's "Robotaxi" program, launched in April 2023, has faced challenges in scaling and public adoption, with the limited operational data raising questions about its readiness for widespread commercial use. The company has not provided updated figures on the size of its active "Robotaxi" fleet since late 2023, when it was reported to be around 100 vehicles. The lack of operational data makes it difficult to assess the true safety performance of Tesla's autonomous driving technology in real-world, high-utilization scenarios.