Drivers shouldn't use driver-assistance tech like autopilot, group warns - CBS News

Although Americans can't yet bargain a afloat autonomous vehicle, immoderate motorists are treating technologies that instrumentality take connected immoderate of the chores of driving similar their idiosyncratic chauffeur, according to a caller survey from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Such tech tin assistance support your car from drifting into different lane, for example, but that doesn't mean you should drawback up connected email from down the wheel. Yet drivers who usage partial automation connected a regular ground often run their vehicles arsenic if they were afloat self-driving, the radical said.

Those with Cadillac Super Cruise, Nissan/Infiniti ProPILOT Assist and Tesla Autopilot are much apt to devour oregon substance portion utilizing the partial automation systems than they would driving unassisted, according to the results released connected Tuesday by IIHS. 

The findings are based connected surveys of astir 600 Cadillac, Nissan/Infiniti and Tesla owners who marque regular usage of their vehicle's partial automation system. Alarmingly, 53% of Super Cruise users, 42% of Autopilot users and 12% of ProPILOT Assist users said they were comfy utilizing their vehicles arsenic afloat self-driving.

The results underscore the request for multifaceted safeguards, according to Alexandra Mueller, an IIHS probe idiosyncratic and pb writer of the study. 

"Many of these drivers said they had experiences wherever they had to abruptly instrumentality implicit the driving due to the fact that the automation did thing unexpected, sometimes portion they were doing thing they were not expected to," Mueller said successful a statement.

Much of the driver-assist exertion disposable contiguous is designed to assistance with road driving, with features similar adaptive cruise power keeping the conveyance traveling astatine a acceptable speed, slowing and accelerating automatically to support a acceptable region from different cars, IIHS noted. 

At the aforesaid time, lane centering systems connection steering enactment to assistance support the conveyance successful the mediate of the road. Some systems are capable to alteration lanes and different precocious maneuvers.

But over-trusting either hands-free oregon hands-on-wheel partial automation tin pb drivers to not intervene adjacent erstwhile they spot a hazardous concern forming successful beforehand of them due to the fact that they incorrectly judge the strategy tin grip much than it was designed to do," IIHS said successful the report. 

"Poor understanding"

Yet nary of the systems present successful usage are designed to regenerate a quality operator oregon marque it harmless for a operator to bash different things and instrumentality their eyes disconnected the road. 

"Early adopters of these systems inactive person a mediocre knowing of the technology's limits," David Harkey, president of IIHS said successful a statement. "It's imaginable that strategy plan and selling are adding to these misconceptions."

For instance, TV commercials for Cadillac's Super Cruise strategy touts its hands-free capabilities by showing drivers patting their laps and clapping their hands on with a song, IIHS noted. The sanction Autopilot besides implies Tesla's strategy is much susceptible than it really is, portion ProPILOT Assist signals it's an assistance feature, not a replacement for the driver, the radical added.

"Nissan is intelligibly communicating ProPILOT Assist arsenic a strategy to assistance the driver, and it requires hands-on operation. The operator maintains power of the conveyance astatine each times," the automaker stated successful an email.

Tesla did not respond to a petition for comment.

GM called said it is "critical" for drivers to stay successful control, noting that specified engagement is "required to run immoderate precocious operator assistance strategy successful immoderate conveyance we sell," a spokesperson stated successful an email.

GM's Driver Attention System is designed to guarantee a motorist's attraction is connected the roadworthy during hands-free driving by monitoring the driver's caput presumption and regard successful narration to the road, the automaker said.

"When the strategy detects the operator isn't paying attention, a bid of escalations volition punctual the operator to reengage. When utilizing Super Cruise, the operator is liable for operating the conveyance successful a harmless mode and indispensable stay attentive to traffic, surroundings and roadworthy conditions astatine each times," GM said.