Irish Examiner view: Self-driving cars are a dangerous dream 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has consistently argued that the benefits of self-driving cars far outweighs their harm, but the upturn in fatal crashes also happens to coincide with Tesla’s aggressive rollout of its experimental full self-driving system. Picture: Britta Pedersen/Pool/AFP/Getty

Not so long ago, the prospect of self-driving cars seemed a pipedream existing only in the realm of science fiction.

In truth, while the development of this technology has come a long way in a short period, it is still not advanced enough to prevent the devastating consequences of car crashes, as has been shown by recent analysis of US data.

Those figures have highlighted that one manufacturer’s experimentation with futuristic driver-assistance technology has been at the root of 736 crashes since 2019. That manufacturer is Tesla.

Owned by the ever-innovative and attention-seeking Elon Musk, Tesla is becoming the focus of increasing attention because of mounting failures of the technology. 

Analysis of data from America’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows the growing presence of Teslas on the roads there, and the increasing use of the cars’ autopilot equipment is to blame for a spike in road deaths.

Only three deaths were definitively linked to autopilot in an initial study last year. Later revaluation of the statistics showed 17 fatalities, 11 of which occurred since last May.

Mr Musk has consistently argued that the benefits of self-driving cars far outweighs their harm, but the upturn in fatal crashes also happens to coincide with Tesla’s aggressive rollout of its experimental full self-driving system.

Nearly two-thirds of all driver-assistance crashes Tesla has reported to the safety administration have happened in the past year. It appears obvious that such systems need to be further tested before they are allowed on any roads.