Push for Autonomous Vehicles Gains Traction, Safety Concerns Persist

Last week, the U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the federal government would be implementing “meaningful” policy frameworks in the coming years for autonomous (self-driving) vehicles, paving the way for broader public adoption, which can significantly impact the entire American transportation system. However, critics have long been concerned about the potential safety issues related to this innovative and disruptive technology.

Safety Concerns with Autonomous Vehicles

May 2016 marked a grim milestone in the autonomous vehicle industry; A Florida driver was killed by a tractor-trailer in his Tesla Model S after one of the car’s cameras failed to recognize the truck due to glare in the sky. Later in 2018, an Uber autonomous test vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian pushing a cycle across a four-lane street in Arizona.

The safety concerns are not only for the vehicles themselves. Driver error and inattention can also be an issue. The evidence is in an incident caught on camera involving a driver and passenger who fell asleep in their Telsa as it cruised down a busy interstate. WATCH: