Tesla Robotaxi Plows Through Barrier in Austin After Execs Hail 'Impeccable' Safety Record

On August 17, a video posted on Reddit showed a Tesla Robotaxi driving through plastic bollards at an intersection in Austin, Texas, before continuing on its way. The vehicle involved was a Model Y-based Robotaxi with no safety driver present; front-seat passengers inside recorded the entire incident. The footage shows the car repeatedly stopping, slowly moving forward, and reversing before ultimately plowing through multiple flexible plastic bollards that blocked access to a triangular curb extension area and driving away. These bollards had been installed at the intersection since at least February 2024. This incident occurred shortly after Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s Vice President of AI, stated on July 22 that Tesla’s Robotaxis had completed over 380,000 miles (approximately 612,000 kilometers) of unsupervised driving across six cities in two states, with “no noteworthy incidents,” describing their safety record as “impeccable.” By comparison, Waymo has logged more than 220 million miles (about 354 million kilometers) of fully driverless passenger rides and currently provides around 500,000 paid trips per week. As of June 2024, Tesla’s fleet of unsupervised Robotaxis consisted of 14 vehicles, down from a previous high of 25. No injuries have been reported, and it remains unclear whether the incident was related to the vehicle’s perception system, path planning, or remote operator intervention. Although Tesla employs a remote assistance mechanism, the video does not show any evidence of such intervention. It is also uncertain whether this event meets the reporting criteria set by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Meanwhile, Tesla plans to begin testing its steering-wheel- and pedal-free Cybercab in Austin in August.