Tesla Inc. Pauses Unsupervised Robotaxis After High Crash Rates

The Tesla Inc. Robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas, experienced nine crashes between July and November 2025, according to data submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. These vehicles crashed approximately every 55,000 miles, a rate far exceeding human drivers who average one police-reported crash every 500,000 miles. Despite these figures, each vehicle operated with a human safety monitor in the passenger seat during that period.

Tesla Inc. recently paused its unsupervised Robotaxi rides in Austin following a severe winter storm. While CEO Elon Musk announced the service would operate without safety monitors, customer testimony indicates that monitors remained inside the taxis or followed in separate vehicles. This operational pause coincided with a fourth-quarter earnings report showing a 61 percent decline in profits year-over-year.

The service remains limited primarily to Austin, falling short of Musk's prediction that it would reach half the U.S. population by the end of 2025. While Tesla Inc. expanded into the San Francisco Bay Area, California's lack of full autonomy permits requires human drivers in those vehicles. Tesla Inc. intends to expand the program into seven additional cities, including Miami and Las Vegas, during the first half of 2026, amid ongoing federal scrutiny over traffic violations and accidents.