Elon Musk Claims Tesla Autopilot Can Cut Number of Crashes in Half

I can't remember the last time a car company had as much hype as Tesla has generated over the past several years. It's no wonder, either; if the company succeeds to the degree to which it aspires, it will fundamentally change the car industry in a way that the world hasn't seen since, well, Henry Ford was around. They're changing things from the ground up, from the way cars operate to the way cars are sold directly to the consumer without any dealerships or middle men along the way.

And one of the biggest and most ambitious aspects of their cars is their autopilot feature, the much talked-about potential for cars to simply drive themselves. This is something that some see as revolutionary and exciting and something that terrifies others. For those who are apprehensive about allowing their fate to be taken out of their hands, Elon Musk has a response.

According to Gizmodo:

“The probability of having an accident is 50% lower if you have Autopilot on. Even with our first version. So we can see basically what’s the average number of kilometers to an accident – accident defined by airbag deployment. Even with this early version, it’s almost twice as good as a person.”

So, what do you think? Would you take a chance on a self-driving car?