Tesla is attempting to conceal the details of three separate accidents involving its newly launched small Robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas, which has been operating for just two months. This raises questions about the reliability of the company’s autonomous driving technology. Here are the details.
Tesla Robotaxi Hidden Accidents
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) General Order 2021-01, automakers are required to report accidents involving autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance systems to NHTSA within five days of the incident being reported.
It was previously reported that Tesla led the way in thousands of accident reports involving Level 2 driver assistance systems. However, despite the name of its “Full Self-Driving” software package, the company has never filed any accident reports that fall into this category because it lacks the technology to qualify as a Level 3-5 SAE autonomous driving system. This changed with the launch of its limited Robotaxi service in Austin.
Tesla has officially reported the first three accidents involving its “autonomous driving system” related to its new Robotaxi initiative. All of these accidents occurred in July 2025, the first month of the service’s launch. While one reported a “minor” injury, Tesla has released information indicating that none of the incidents are being investigated by authorities.
While Tesla hasn’t provided many details about its Robotaxi initiative, it’s estimated that its fleet in Austin consisted of only about 12 vehicles as of July, and that the service is offered to a limited group of users, mostly Tesla shareholders, who are unlikely to criticize the company.
As with driver assistance system accidents, Tesla also conceals the details of these accidents. Unlike competitors like Waymo, Tesla censors the information in all accident reports. This makes it difficult to understand the context of accidents and assess the degree of responsibility of the autonomous driving system.
Unlike competitors like Waymo, Tesla’s Robotaxi still has a “safety officer” in the front seat, whose finger is on the “emergency stop” button to stop the vehicle. It’s striking that accidents still occur despite this additional safety measure.
While CEO Elon Musk claims he will remove the safety guard by the end of the year and fulfill his promises of “fully autonomous driving,” he hasn’t shared any data proving that the system has reached this level. Tesla’s failure to transparently report these accidents raises significant questions about the future of autonomous technology.
So, what are your thoughts on this? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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