Musk: Tesla FSD Prevents 90% of Crash Deaths Annually, Yet Faces Lawsuits Over Remaining 10%

On April 7, Tesla CEO Elon Musk defended the company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system in a post on his personal X account. He claimed the system could prevent 90% of fatalities in millions of traffic accidents annually and cited a video as evidence—showing a Tesla automatically steering on a highway with limited visibility to avoid a pedestrian crossing the road. Musk stated that the relevant statistics clearly support the view that FSD saves many lives, though the company still faces lawsuits over the remaining 10% of fatal incidents. He also acknowledged that FSD still has room for improvement and noted that most people saved by the system are unaware they were rescued. Currently, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has advanced its investigation into FSD to the engineering analysis phase, which typically precedes a large-scale recall. Although NHTSA recently concluded its probe into the "Smart Summon" feature, its review of FSD continues. Additionally, some investors have pointed out that FSD remains, in practice, a Level 2 driver-assistance system and does not possess true autonomous driving capabilities.