The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has rated many prominent automated driving systems, including Tesla's Autopilot, as 'poor' in terms of safety.
The comprehensive examination covered 14 so-called advanced driver assistance systems, with 11 receiving a 'poor' rating, including solutions from Ford and Nissan. General Motors' Super Cruise was rated as 'marginal,' and only Lexus's Teammate with Advanced Drive system scored an 'acceptable' rating. Read the full report here for more details. .
The findings underscore the increasing concerns about the safety of autonomous driving technologies. While these systems are designed to aid drivers, the IIHS determined most of them didn't do an effective job at monitoring driver attention, which can lead to catastrophic consequences.
A report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration corroborated these findings, indicating that there's much work to do in terms of perfecting these systems.
Even though Tesla's Autopilot is considered one of the much-vaunted solutions in the market, the IIHS study revealed that the system has room for improvement. For more insights on Tesla's autopilot system, consult this in-depth analysis by Car and Driver.
However, it's worth noting that criticism of Tesla's system is not universally accepted. In contrast to the IIHS's evaluation, a study by MIT found that Tesla drivers who use Autopilot pay more attention to the road compared to those who don't.
While the autonomous driving industry's evolution is in full swing, it's crucial for consumers to stay informed about the potential risks associated with these systems, and these evaluations play a significant role in ensuring user safety.
Maverick is the call sign of Mobile Gnosis publisher and editor-in-chief, Matt De Reno. Have a tip, story idea, or news item to share? You can send him an email at