Tesla's Autopilot, other driver-assistance systems get poor ratings from auto-insurance group

By Claudia Assis

'Little evidence' that ADAS makes driving safer, IIHS says

Tesla Inc.'s Autopilot and several other carmakers' advanced driver-assistance systems have earned poor marks from an auto-insurance trade group, which said that there was "little evidence" that the systems are making highway driving any safer.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said it tested 14 driving-automation systems in vehicles offered by Tesla (TSLA), Ford Motor Co. (F), General Motors Co. (GM), Mercedes-Benz Group (XE:MBG) and others. Only one model earned an "acceptable" rating from the IIHS.

Systems like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection and lane-departure warning are some of the most common offerings of driving-automation systems, present in nearly all newer vehicles now on the road.

However, "most of them don't include adequate measures to prevent misuse and keep drivers from losing focus on what's happening on the road," IIHS President David Harkey said.

The system offered on the Lexus LS, a luxury sedan, was the only one to receive the "acceptable" rating, the IIHS said. Lexus is Toyota Motor Co.'s (TM) (JP:7203) luxury brand. The ratings only apply to the specific models that the IIHS tested, even as the systems may be used on several different vehicles from the same maker.

"Some drivers may feel that partial automation makes long drives easier, but there is little evidence it makes driving safer," Harkey said. "As many high-profile crashes have illustrated, it can introduce new risks when systems lack the appropriate safeguards."

The shortcomings varied from system to system, the insurance group said. Many do not "adequately" monitor the driver's attention, or lack attention reminders "that come soon enough and are forceful enough to rouse a driver whose mind is wandering," the IIHS noted. In addition, "many can be used despite occupants being unbelted or when other vital safety features are switched off."

The IIHS said it started the new ratings program to encourage carmakers to add "more robust safeguards" into their systems and discourage misuse.

On the positive side, while no single system did well across the board, in each category at least one system performed well. "That means the fixes are readily available and, in some cases, may be accomplished with nothing more than a simple software update," the IIHS said.

-Claudia Assis

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03-12-24 1323ET

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