|
The
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an industry
funded group that prods automakers to make safer vehicles, said
on Tuesday a survey found regular users of Super Cruise,
Nissan/Infiniti ProPILOT Assist and Tesla Autopilot "said they
were more likely to perform non-driving-related activities like
eating or texting while using their partial automation systems
than while driving unassisted."
The IIHS study of 600 active users found 53% of Super Cruise,
42% of Autopilot and 12% of ProPILOT Assist owners "said that
they were comfortable treating their vehicles as fully
self-driving."
About 40% of users of Autopilot and Super Cruise - two systems
with lockout features for failing to pay attention - reported
systems had at some point switched off while they were driving
and would not reactivate.
"The big-picture message here is that the early adopters of
these systems still have a poor understanding of the
technology’s limits," said IIHS President David Harkey.
The study comes as the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) is scrutinizing Autopilot crashes.
Since 2016, the NHTSA has opened 37 special investigations
involving 18 deaths in crashes involving Tesla vehicles and
where systems like Autopilot were suspected of use.
Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. Tesla says
Autopilot does not make vehicles autonomous and is intended for
use with a fully attentive driver who is prepared to take over.
GM, which in August said owners could use Super Cruise on
400,000 miles (643,740 km) of North American roads and plans to
offer Super Cruise on 22 models by the end of 2023, did not
immediately comment.
IIHS said advertisements for Super Cruise focus on hands-free
capabilities while Autopilot evokes the name used in passenger
airplanes and "implies Tesla’s system is more capable than it
really is." IIHS in contrast noted ProPILOT Assist "suggests
that it’s an assistance feature, rather than a replacement for
the driver."
NHTSA and automakers say none of the systems make vehicles
autonomous.
Nissan said its name "is clearly communicating ProPILOT Assist
as a system to aid the driver, and it requires hands-on
operation. The driver maintains control of the vehicle at all
times."
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Robert Birsel)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
