Tesla faces scrutiny following a Reuters report regarding safety statistics for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. The company presented this data to regulators in Sweden and the Netherlands. Independent traffic-safety experts characterized the self-published data as misleading marketing.
Tesla shared this data to secure wider European approval for FSD. The company views the feature as critical to regaining lost market share. Critics argue Tesla’s claims that FSD is safer than human drivers rely on invalid data comparisons.
The company reportedly compared crash rates in FSD-equipped Teslas involving airbag deployments to a general U.S. crash rate. This general rate includes much less severe accidents. Tesla also compared its newer vehicles to the older average U.S. vehicle fleet to distort safety improvements.
The Dutch road regulator, RDW, approved FSD in the Netherlands in April. RDW is now seeking EU-wide approval for the system on Tesla's behalf.