Self-driving tech from Tesla could effectively prevent road accidents, researchers say

After years of testing autonomous driving technology, transportation regulators are still hesitant to approve its widespread usage by the public. Nevertheless, some modern vehicles are already equipped with the necessary functionality which can be enabled at any time. Perhaps in a bid to push for mass adoption, researchers submitted their findings regarding Tesla's Autopilot feature. Data shows that its system can possibly reduce traffic accidents by 90 percent. This adds to Elon Musk's recent strings of successes in the last few months.

Experts from the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) presented a study that shows a significant drop in road mishaps if Tesla's Autopilot platform is used. According to their findings, there will be a dramatic decline of crashes – from 281,849 annually to 29,413 – if all cars in Germany use the self-driving technology.

For now, it is still in the early stages of testing but a disclaimer for the all-electric automaker states: "It may do the wrong thing at the worst time, so you must always keep your hands on the wheel and pay extra attention to the road." Moreover, the scenario presented by the researchers assumed that all vehicles on the road have Tesla's Autopilot on board.

As of April 2019, all Tesla models have the hardware and autonomous driving tech on board as standard. However, it needs to be enabled by the company after owners purchase it for $10,000, which is $2,000 more than its previous price. In an interview with Trend, CAR director Professor Ferdinand Dudenhöffe claims it "shows the long-term potential of a safety technology like this enabled by Autopilot."

He also pointed out that regulators should be aware of how quickly advancements are made to self-driving systems and need to regularly stay updated to understand its nuances. To date, governments are still hesitant to pass legislation, which somehow holds back innovation.

The Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature is currently being used by a select number of Tesla owners in the United States. Reports indicate that Canadian consumers who own compatible model will have it soon, as per Musk. This was highlighted during the manufacturer's most recent earnings call. Meanwhile, it was likewise announced during the Battery Day 2020 event in September that a more affordable model – at $25,000 – could soon make its debut.