A new study looked at the safety of self-driving cars (AVs) and found that while they are better than humans in some everyday driving tasks, they are not yet as good as humans when it comes to turning or driving in low light.

We need to know that our cars are safe before we can just get in and let them take us where we need to go. The hope is that one day they will be able to drive better than humans. Cars don’t get tired, irritable at other drivers, or lose focus while thinking about something else, after all.

Tests of the technology have been done all over the world, and we now have a lot of information from semi-autonomous systems in cars that are used in real-life traffic situations. The new study from the University of Central Florida looked at accident data from 35,113 human-driven vehicles (HDVs) and data from 2,100 Advanced Driving Systems and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. The goal was to find out how safe AVs and HDVs are in different situations.

In general, the team found that AVs are safer than human drivers, though there are a few big exceptions.

“The analysis suggests that accidents involving vehicles equipped with advanced driving systems generally have a lower chance of occurring than accidents involving human-driven vehicles in most of the similar accident scenarios,” the team said in their paper.

AVs did better than HDVs at routine traffic tasks like staying in their lanes and adjusting to the flow of traffic. They also had fewer accidents while doing these tasks. Sideswipe accidents were 0.2% less likely in AVs, and rear-end accidents were 0.5% less likely in AVs.

In other traffic situations, though, humans are still better than AI.

“Based on the model estimation results, it can be concluded that ADS [automatic driving systems] in general are safer than HDVs in most accident scenarios for their object detection and avoidance, precision control, and better decision-making,” the team said.

“However, the chances of an ADS accident happening at dawn or dusk or when turning are 5.250 and 1.988 times higher, respectively, than the chances of an HDV accident happening at the same times and places.” The reasons could be a lack of situational awareness in difficult driving situations and a lack of experience driving an AV.

Finding these key problem areas could help researchers improve how well AVs work. It would be helpful to think about finding dangers in new ways right now.

“At dawn and dusk, for instance, the sun’s shadows and reflections may confuse sensors, making it hard for them to distinguish between objects and identify potential hazards,” they wrote. “Furthermore, the fluctuating light conditions can impact the accuracy of object detection and recognition algorithms used by AVs, which can result in false positives or negatives.”

The study might disappoint supporters of self-driving cars. They may be waiting for the crossover point where AVs are better than human drivers. But if performance gets better, it can be sent to all AVs at the same time. Researchers who find a way to make turning better can use it on these kinds of vehicles through software updates, which is something we can’t do with people.

We hope that one day we can get into AVs without having to worry about lights changing or other people on the road getting distracted.

Nature Communicationsis where the study can be found.

In 2019, Elon Musk introduced the Cybertuck, an event that did not unfold as Musk had anticipated. Subsequently, a series of calamities have occurred, and presented here are a few comical and mortifying instances.
The initial moment of realization

The Cybertruck was revealed on a well-illuminated stage as a new addition to Tesla’s product lineup. The vehicle was designed to accommodate six individuals, achieve a speed of 0 to 100 kilometers (0 to 60 miles) per hour in under 3 seconds, and possess a somewhat childlike aesthetic.

Additionally, it was asserted during the presentation that the material was impervious to a 9mm handgun. In order to demonstrate the veracity of this assertion, Franz von Holzhausen, the chief designer of Tesla, forcefully propelled a metal sphere towards one of the truck’s windows.

The ball promptly shattered the window, much to the astonishment of all present, and even Musk uttered a few profanities.

Elon's reaction when the window actually breaks #Cybertruck pic.twitter.com/ujEh47PEHM

— Pyrets (@Pyrets1) November 22, 2019

The company continues to assert that the Cybertruck remains resistant to shattering.

With the release of the Cybertruck, it has become apparent that rough terrain poses a challenge for this vehicle, despite its Off-Road Mode designed to handle steep inclines, declines, uneven surfaces, shallow streams, and other obstacles.

The Cybertuck appears to be better suited for driving on paved roads than off-roading, which has been a disappointment for owners. Even mild off-roading can be problematic and may necessitate assistance.

It strongly dislikes sand

 

@myonymyon

lol this thing is such a shitbox #fyp #tesla #cybertruck #fail #meme #guilestheme #guilesthemegoeswitheverything #bruh #shitbox

♬ original sound – Myony (LESBIAN APOCALYPSE)

Being summoned back
In the previous month, a recall was issued for Cybertrucks manufactured from November 13, 2024, to April 4, 2024. This recall specifically related to a problem with the accelerator pedals and affected a total of 3,878 vehicles. The presence of lubricant between the pedal and the covering pad was causing the pad to slide off and become stuck underneath the interior trim in front of it.

@el.chepito1985

serious problem with my Cybertruck and potential all Cybertrucks #tesla #cyberbeast #cybertruck #stopsale #recall

♬ original sound – el.chepito

The Cybertruck appears to have encountered a less than favorable beginning.

 

Chinese EV manufacturers are encountering a fresh obstacle as they strive to attract U.S. customers. Recently, a House bill was proposed that might limit or even forbid the introduction of connected cars into the market.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin of the United States has introduced a new bill in response to the growing trade tensions between the United States and China. This follows the Biden administration’s recent decision to raise import taxes on Chinese electric cars to 100%.

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers have not made substantial progress in the United States, unlike their success in Europe. The bill seems to aim at preventing manufacturers from inundating the American market with affordable smart cars.

Slotkin, a former CIA analyst and Pentagon official, has consistently alerted Congress to the potential dangers of Chinese-built connected vehicles. In a recent speech on the House floor, Slotkin highlighted the significant subsidies provided by the Chinese government to its auto industry. These subsidies have enabled the production of advanced, affordable electric vehicles (EVs) equipped with cutting-edge sensors such as lidar, radar, and cameras. These sensors have the capability to collect and transmit data to Chinese authorities.

According to Slotkin, the entry of Chinese connected vehicles into our markets could provide the Chinese government with a wealth of valuable intelligence on the United States. This includes the ability to gather information on our military bases, critical infrastructure such as the power grid and traffic systems, and even track the whereabouts of specific U.S. leaders if they wish to do so. Slotkin made this statement on Wednesday. It is crucial to strengthen our defenses before these vehicles from China enter the U.S. market, considering their significant presence in the connected auto market in Europe and Mexico.

Last week, provisions that Slotkin supported—ssuch as a ban on Chinese connected vehicles at U.S. military bases and a prohibition on procuring Chinese-made lidar by the Department of Defense—wwere included in the U.S. government’s annual defense spending bill.

If Slotkin’s bill, known as the Connected Vehicle National Security Review Act, is approved, it would not only assess electric vehicles but also self-driving cars. Several AV companies with connections to China, such as WeRide and Pony.ai, currently hold permits to conduct testing in California. Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has partnered with Chinese startup Zeekr to manufacture specialized robotaxes.

 

How this bill will impact Chinese electric vehicles
When it comes to EVs, Volvo and Polestar have established themselves in the United States, both being under the ownership of China’s Geely Automotive. Most Volvo vehicles are manufactured in Sweden, while the upcoming generation of Volvo vehicles for the North American market will be produced at a newly established facility in Ridgeville, South Carolina.

A spokesperson from Polestar reassured that personal data from customers in North America and Europe is not shared with China. They emphasized that, as a Swedish automaker, Polestar is obligated to adhere to GDPR laws.

However, this bill does not exempt cars manufactured in friendly nations or domestically from scrutiny. If approved, the bill would grant the Department of Commerce the power to examine any sale, importation, or other transaction involving a connected vehicle that is associated with a company connected to China or a country of concern.

The bill goes beyond traditional trade-restriction tools such as tariffs by considering the possibility of prohibiting connected vehicles manufactured by Chinese companies in countries like Mexico from entering the U.S. That could be targeted at carmakers such as BYD, whose CEO Stella Li mentioned in February that the automaker was exploring options for a plant in Mexico.

The bill would additionally grant explicit legal authority to the Department of Commerce and other federal agencies to enhance national security safeguards and prevent future administrations from reversing these safeguards, according to Slotkin, who emphasized that this is not a hypothetical scenario.

Slotkin emphasized the directive that then-President Donald Trump made in an effort to address security issues with the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok. In April, President Joe Biden signed a bill that would require ByteDance to sell TikTok in order to comply with the new regulations. Trump, who is seeking re-election this November, has since changed his stance and now opposes the efforts to mandate a sale.

The United States has expressed growing concerns about China’s increasing capabilities in handling data, coinciding with Beijing’s recent relaxation of regulations on cross-border data transfers. It has been reported that Tesla is making efforts to capitalize on this opportunity in order to obtain permission to transmit its own connected car data back to the U.S. for the purpose of training Tesla’s “full self-driving” algorithms.

Slotkin’s bill coincides with the Department of Commerce’s commitment to make a decision on Chinese-connected vehicles by the end of this year. This decision follows the Biden administration’s investigation into the potential national security threats posed by these vehicles, which was initiated in February.

Slotkin intends to introduce the bill after June 3, once Congress resumes session following the Memorial Day recess.