Today, we observe not only technology enhancing the safety of travel but also making it more enjoyable, particularly through the increasing integration of automated systems or self-driving vehicles (AV). Although drivers must remain vigilant, it is widely believed that the future lies in these advancements.
Cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin have been coexisting with driverless vehicles and taxi services that pick up passengers without anyone behind the wheel for quite some time. What are the implications of this?
General Stats
The Office of Defects Investigation at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating 31 incidents involving Waymo vehicles, 14 of which occurred in Arizona. According to PolicyAdvice, 43% of Americans feel uneasy inside a driverless car, with safety being their primary concern. A survey conducted by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety revealed that 75% of respondents would prefer to drive themselves rather than ride in an AV, and 71% stated they would miss driving if autonomous vehicles became the standard.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveals that between May and September of 2022, there were eleven fatal accidents involving automated vehicles.
As of February 2024, California reported 690 collisions involving autonomous vehicles, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The DMV’s website keeps track of all such incidents and emphasizes that manufacturers testing autonomous vehicles must report any collisions within 10 days of the event.
AutoPilots
In 2022, car manufacturers reported around 400 accidents involving vehicles with partially automated driver-assist systems to the NHTSA. Of these, 273 were Teslas, the most prevalent self-driving vehicles, with 70% using the Autopilot beta at that time.
Out of 98 crashes involving self-driving vehicles that resulted in injuries, 11 led to serious injuries, and five of these Tesla incidents were fatal.
Among 130 accidents involving fully autonomous vehicles, 108 resulted in no injuries, with most incidents involving the vehicles being rear-ended.
Milestone News
On March 23, 2018, Walter Huang lost his life when his self-driving car swerved off the road and crashed into a safety barrier at 71 miles per hour. Mr. Huang traveled the same route to work every day, and the vehicle had veered off the road at the same location multiple times before. On the day of the fatal crash, a game app was active on his phone, suggesting that Mr. Huang wasn’t focused on the road. The accident might have been prevented if he had been attentive; he had previously avoided a collision at that same spot by taking control of the autonomous vehicle.
In August 2019, an autonomous vehicle rear-ended a pickup truck in California, resulting in the death of a 15-year-old passenger in the truck. The autonomous vehicle didn’t begin to decelerate until less than a second before impact and even accelerated momentarily. The driver of the autonomous vehicle failed to notice that it was quickly approaching another vehicle.
At the end of August 2024 in Arizona, a driverless Waymo taxi began driving in the wrong direction. Fortunately, it didn’t cause any damage, but it did instill fear in several drivers who recorded the incident.
The Waymo Cases
An initial assessment of Waymo vehicles in May 2024 has reported 22 incidents total, including collisions with objects, parked vehicles, or gates, as well as other instances where autonomous cars violated traffic laws, according to the NHTSA. Of these 22 incidents, 17 involved crashes or fires. Regulators noted that Waymo’s automated driving system seemed to disregard traffic control devices, and the accidents occurred after the vehicles exhibited unexpected behavior near these devices.
In June 2024, Waymo recalled over 600 autonomous vehicles following an accident in Phoenix. A total of 672 cars were withdrawn for a software update aimed at improving the automated driving system’s response and addressing a mapping issue across the entire fleet. According to the report, the driverless Waymo vehicle crashed into a wooden telephone pole while attempting a low-speed stop in an alley; no passengers were aboard at the time.
In 2024 alone, more than 20 incidents involving Waymo were reported in California alone. While most of these were non-fatal accidents, nearly all occurred with the vehicle in motion and under favorable weather conditions. Perhaps still low numbers, considering the 50,000 daily trips the company completes.
Indirect Victims
Two driverless Cruise autonomous taxis obstructed an ambulance during an emergency, leading to the victim’s death 20 minutes later. This incident underscores that autonomous vehicles are not yet equipped to handle peak traffic times in large cities.
The Fire Department reported that this case is among over 70 incidents where autonomous vehicles have interfered with emergency services. San Francisco officials have been protesting the expansion of these driverless taxi services since January, citing instances where autonomous vehicles have blocked emergency vehicles and disrupted active firefighting efforts and crime scenes.
Causes
There are four primary causes that can be attributed to these types of accidents:
- Malfunction: When the vehicle’s systems or components fail to operate as intended, leading to potentially dangerous situations.
- Misuse: Occurs when the vehicle is improperly used by the driver or operator, such as disregarding safety protocols or misusing features.
- Distractions: Not all distractions stem from negligence. The introduction of touchscreen control panels, with more complex drop-down menus compared to traditional buttons and knobs, has significantly altered how much attention we can devote to the road.
- Hack: Involves unauthorized access to the vehicle’s systems by hackers, potentially allowing them to manipulate controls, disable safety features, or compromise the vehicle’s security.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity in vehicles is crucial as modern cars increasingly rely on internet-connected systems, making them susceptible to cyberattacks. Hackers could potentially access a vehicle’s systems to steal personal information, disable safety features, or take control of critical functions like braking or steering, leading to hazardous situations on the road. Protecting these systems is essential to prevent privacy breaches, maintain functionality, and ensure passenger safety.
With the rise of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication, which aims to reduce traffic congestion and prevent accidents by providing real-time updates, the security of connected cars becomes even more critical. While these advancements promise to enhance driving experiences, they also expose vehicles to cyber threats that could compromise personal data or allow unauthorized control, posing significant risks to both safety and privacy.
Scrutiny
Scrutiny of automated driving systems has intensified in recent months following collisions involving Teslas, Cruise robotaxis, and other vehicles with advanced driving systems. Recently, the NHTSA announced it will investigate Zoox—Amazon’s robotaxi division—after two of its autonomous vehicles braked abruptly and were subsequently rear-ended by motorcyclists.
Entities
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been committed to enhancing vehicle safety for many years. NHTSA establishes and enforces safety regulations while also pioneering innovative approaches to vehicle safety, such as the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
Expanded in 1993, the 5-Star Safety Ratings system within NCAP marked its 40th anniversary in 2019. Significant advancements have been made in vehicle safety over the decades, resulting in safer cars.
You can check how your vehicle model is ranked in safety ratings here.