Cars are getting more futuristic by the minute — and not always in safe ways.
One organization that crash-tests vehicles proved exactly that with its investigation into partially self-driving cars, according to The Examiner.
What's happening?
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety took 14 semi-autonomous cars out on the road to see how they performed in seven safety measures, from driver monitoring and alerts to lane and steering adjustments, The Examiner explained.
The automakers in the spotlight included many mainstream brands, such as Tesla, Ford, BMW, and Nissan — but the results were not all that comforting.
Only one system was rated "acceptable," while two were deemed "marginal." The remaining 11 cars received poor ratings, including Tesla's Autopilot system and its Full Self-Driving Beta.
Why are these test results important?
These computer-operated systems can control speed, braking, and steering. Their rapid addition to the highway rush hour comes with new safety concerns, as the self-driving features can be intentionally or accidentally misused.
In response, the IIHS offers these ratings to make the roads safer for everyone — something that's needed now more than ever.
Innovative technologies like Tesla's fully autonomous lane changing are gaining popularity and are even part of the allure for many drivers to make the switch to a gas-free, money-saving electric vehicle.
However, people's adoption of EVs can be held up when major companies like Tesla don't put safety first. The company got "poor" scores on five of the seven test categories, the most out of all the tested vehicles, per The Examiner.
"Some drivers may feel that partial automation makes long drives easier, but there is little evidence it makes driving safer," IIHS President David Harkey said, per the outlet.
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No way 👎 "It can introduce new risks when systems lack the appropriate safeguards," he added.
What's being done to make self-driving cars safer?
Both Tesla systems in question were recalled in December 2023 and given updates. The IIHS aims to encourage similar action across the auto industry with its test results, The Examiner reported.
The outlet also noted a silver lining in the poor performance across the field. While none of the 14 cars did well in every category— the two Fords were the closest — each category had at least one success story. That means the improvements each system needs most likely already exist and just need to be integrated into its software program.
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