Austin reports first safety concern with Tesla Robotaxi service

Austin has reported its first safety concern related to Tesla’s newly launched Robotaxi service. The incident occurred on June 22, the same day the service was rolled out, on East Oltorf Street in downtown Austin. According to the city’s autonomous vehicle incident dashboard, the safety concern was highlighted by Edward Niedermeyer, an automotive expert known for his critical views on Tesla. He shared a YouTube video showing a Tesla Robotaxi braking hard twice when approaching stationary police vehicles that were not in its direct path. The incident was not immediately followed up with comments from either Tesla or Niedermeyer. The city’s dashboard, which tracks incidents related to autonomous vehicles, has documented a variety of safety concerns involving Tesla and other self-driving companies like Waymo and Zoox. The Tesla Robotaxi service launched with a fleet of 10 to 20 vehicles and includes safety monitors in the passenger seat, as well as remote operators who can intervene if necessary. While the city’s dashboard is based on reports from local departments, it has noted that the data may be incomplete and unverified. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also in contact with Tesla regarding its autonomous vehicles.