According to a new report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, automakers that market self-driving or autopilot technology in their vehicles have much room for improvement.
In a report released Tuesday, the IIHS rated the safety of 14 different self-driving systems based on standards developed by the group (currently, there are no federal safety standards for self-driving technology).
The study focused on Tesla, General Motors, Ford, Genesis, Lexus, Mercedes and Volvo systems. Only one of the automaker systems reviewed earned a good rating, with the rest receiving “poor” marks overall.
The study examined insurance claims and found that the new technology does not reduce the chances of collisions on the road.
“There’s no evidence that it makes driving safer, and, in fact, it can create new risks by making it easier for the driver’s attention to wander,” the IIHS wrote on its website. “For this reason, it’s essential that all partial driving automation systems incorporate robust safeguards.”
The IIHS’ safety standards include eight guidelines that automakers need to follow to receive a good rating from the organization. The guidelines include features like automatic braking that keep the driver’s attention on the road and prevent the technology from activating if the driver is not wearing a seatbelt.
Ironically, despite being one of the first companies to adopt the technology, Tesla’s Full-Self-Driving and Autopilot features scored the worst. According to the organization’s grading system, Tesla’s Autopilot Version 2023.7.10 and Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Beta) Version 2023.7.10 scored “poor” in six out of eight categories.
The Lexus Teammate with Advanced Drive is the only tested technology that didn’t score “poor” in a single category. The lowest score the IIHS gave the car was “moderate” in the driver monitoring category.
Since the IIHS started this study last year, several high-profile automakers have updated their self-driving technology. Tesla, for example, recently updated their technology during a massive recall this year, and the IIHS expects to evaluate the updated technology.
The report comes as the future of self-driving cars remains uncertain. Federal regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission continue to be skeptical of the claims of Tesla, whose CEO Elon Musk has said are 10 times safer than regular cars with autopilot engaged. The commission is currently investigating hundreds of cases where Tesla’s Autopilot system was engaged.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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