Tesla has published a new report detailing just how safe Full Self Driving (FSD) is making the driving experience of its customers.
Critics of Tesla’s FSD autonomous driving software have one common criticism; the system isn’t safe enough. Often, this argument is paired with a citation of the U.S. NHTSA, which is currently investigating 40 collisions involving Tesla’s autonomous system. Now, the automaker has published the best rebuke to this criticism yet, reporting new data showing that FSD is almost five times safer than the average American behind the wheel.
Tesla’s FSD safety findings were reported as part of the company’s 2022 Impact Report, which among other things, reports the company’s effect on the environment and the world more generally annually. According to this report, the average Tesla equipped with FSD Beta, driven on predominantly non-highway sections of road, crashes 0.31 times per million miles, a dramatic decrease from the average American, who crashes 1.53 times every million miles.

Perhaps even more surprising, the incredible effects of Tesla’s autonomous offerings on safety are felt throughout the company’s lineup. According to Tesla’s data, drivers who use the Tesla Autopilot system predominantly on highways only crash 0.18 times per million miles. Further, even Tesla drivers who choose to employ neither of the autonomous systems only crash 0.68 times per million miles, which is still a reduction of more than half compared to the national average.
In explanation of these incredible results, besides pointing to its excellent software offerings, Tesla notes that its “Saftey Score” system also incentivizes drivers to drive more safely. Tesla backs up this claim by stating that those with higher safety scores are substantially less likely to get into an accident than their less safe counterparts.
Tesla’s Safety Score system creates a score of 0-100 for every driver. It is influenced by factors like how many forward collision warnings the driver receives, how many hard braking occurrences a driver has, and how much time the driver spends speeding at an excessive rate.
Tesla’s autonomous systems don’t just stop at saving the lives of drivers and occupants but also those outside of the vehicle as well. Tesla included data from top safety testing agencies worldwide, noting that the company’s pedestrian avoidance systems, pedestrian crash safety, and emergency braking systems all rank within the highest scores possible.

The final point in Tesla’s safety report focuses on more physical vehicle safety, specifically crash test safety standards. When a Tesla does get into a crash, the company reports that every single model it sells meets the highest level of safety, according to Euro NCAP and NCAP in Europe as well as IIHS in the United States.
What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!
News
Tesla dashcam video shows crazy plane crash avoidance maneuver
A Tesla captured video of a crashing plane on an Oklahoma highway, as a shocking video shows a small aircraft coming across a local roadway, with various cars ducking to avoid it.
On October 23, an Oklahoma National Guard OA-1K Skyraider II turboprop plane crashed during a training mission after an engine failure. Both crew members escaped unharmed, but they were not the only ones at risk of injury.
A Tesla Dashcam video shared by a friend of the car’s owner shows the vehicle narrowly avoiding an impact with the plane, swerving left, then back onto its side of the road. It appears to be a serious miracle:
WOW! Tesla full self driving dodges a freaking plane falling out of the sky! @Tesla fsd for the win! @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/vTVxuLPsHg
— David Bellow (@davidbellow) October 24, 2025
David Bellow, the person who posted the video of the Tesla avoiding the plane, claims it was Full Self-Driving that performed the maneuver, but it is not confirmed. This is what he said:
This wasn’t me my friend sent me the video from Matthew Topchian it was his Tesla. I’ll see if my friend can reach out and get more details of what fsd version! I personally had a video of my Tesla maneuvering between two bunnies at night on the road so I fully believe this to be…
— David Bellow (@davidbellow) October 25, 2025
There are a few hints that suggest it could be Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite, but it is important to note that neither the company, the driver, nor the friend has confirmed this.
The first hint is the vehicle’s maneuver and subsequent reaction. The car suddenly swerves to the left, which any human would do, but how the vehicle continues to travel as if nothing had happened seems to solidify the idea that FSD could have been involved in avoiding the plane.
Nevertheless, this does not confirm that FSD was in control.
My Tesla did this on FSD (Supervised) v14.1 and the internet went crazy
Most people would likely have stopped in their tracks after avoiding an aircraft while driving.
However, this is not enough proof to definitively say FSD was responsible for the avoidance.
Additionally, the “Jump to Event” button is activated in the video, suggesting that FSD was in control. The vehicle gives this option when something major has occurred, including human intervention.
Regardless of whether the car was on FSD or was controlled manually, it is pretty crazy to have this piece of dashcam footage.
News
Tesla made Full Self-Driving more seamless with this little-known feature
“Brake Confirm for the Start Self-Driving button is now defaulted off. When disabled, Start Self-Driving will not require you to press and release the brake to confirm engagement.”
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite seems to get better with every single release. However, it is also making it more seamless and easier than ever to use for passenger travel, thanks to a recent feature that has flown under the radar.
Tesla started rolling out its v14 iteration of the Full Self-Driving suite a few weeks ago to Early Access Program (EAP) members, and it finally started making its way to the public for the first time earlier this week.
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.1 first impressions: Robotaxi-like features arrive
The wide rollout of Tesla v14.1.3 was long-awaited, as its capabilities were flexed by the handful of people lucky to have it. However, those sitting with v13.2.9 were still eager to get to their hands on the new FSD version, especially considering it came with a lot of cool upgrades.
One of which is flying under the radar and not getting as much attention as it should. Although it is a minor feature change from v13, Tesla has made FSD more seamless than ever with a simple fix that it started utilizing with v14.
With v14.1.1, Tesla started rolling out the removal of the “Brake Confirm” feature, which required drivers to touch the brake to activate Full Self-Driving. This is now an optional feature, as it now is defaulted to the off position by the car.
The release notes for the feature state:
“Brake Confirm for the Start Self-Driving button is now defaulted off. When disabled, Start Self-Driving will not require you to press and release the brake to confirm engagement.
You can enable Brake Confirm in Autopilot > Brake Confirm.”
https://t.co/Hpz2VP7aLS pic.twitter.com/SBsjGRmsyd
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) October 24, 2025
Simply put, you no longer need to touch the brake to confirm your intention to use Full Self-Driving, which is a small but very effective fix.
It makes your car much more active in terms of overall activation, and it is definitely a quicker and more streamlined departure from your current location than ever before.
Here’s a good look at how quick it is:
@teslarati With Tesla Full Self-Driving v14, there is no delay when you start FSD. Press “Start Self-Driving” and you’re on your way #fyp #viral #tesla #teslafsd #fsdv14 ♬ original sound – TESLARATI
The feature is small, but it is very noticeable with your first uses of FSD v14. Eventually, it will become even more streamlined as Tesla solves self-driving and autonomy, as it will require zero human intervention to get started, which means the “Start Self-Driving” button will also be removed.
News
Tesla rival’s ex-CEO makes shock prediction about Elon Musk’s future
A Tesla rival’s ex-CEO has made a shock prediction about CEO Elon Musk, stating that he believes he will abandon the production and manufacturing of electric vehicles altogether, eventually deciding to focus on robotics, SpaceX, or Artificial Intelligence.
Ex-Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said in an interview recently that he believes Musk will see no future for Tesla’s EVs, and will eventually bail on the development of them altogether (via Detroit News):
“We can’t rule out that at some point, he’ll decide to leave the automotive industry to refocus on humanoid robots, SpaceX, or artificial intelligence. Elon Musk will have left the automotive industry.”
Musk is no stranger to crazy moves or even speaking his mind. However, a prediction of this magnitude does not seem entirely accurate, especially considering that one of Tesla’s biggest priorities currently is that of self-driving cars, something the company has devoted and invested billions of dollars and endless time to.
Despite that, Tavares still believes Tesla will eventually phase out of the automotive industry altogether and will be beaten by BYD. He also criticized Tesla’s valuation on the stock market, saying it was “simply stratospheric.”
The comments came as Tavares was promoting a new self-memoir. He finished with a shock claim that Tesla won’t even be around in ten years:
“Tesla’s stock market value loss will be colossal because this valuation is simply stratospheric. I’m not sure that Tesla will still exist in 10 years. It’s an innovative group, but they’ll be beaten by BYD’s efficiency.”
Musk saw the story shared on X and said that Tavares “has no clue,” effectively dispeling the mentality that he could simply abandon such a crucial part of the company’s product line and forget about the millions of people who have already bought the company’s cars and invested into gathering data for its Full Self-Driving tech.
He has absolutely no clue
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 24, 2025
Musk is set to commit to Tesla for many more years in early November, as Tesla shareholders are set to vote on a $1 trillion proposed pay package from the company’s Board. It is likely the pay package will pass, as the previous two votes on a separate package were overwhelmingly approved.
However, Musk’s true concern is having enough influence with ownership to handle and manage the company’s fleet of Optimus robots.
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