Tesla Autopilot, similar automated driving systems rated 'poor' by safety group

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rolled retired a caller information standing strategy for partial automated driving systems, and nan first tests did not spell good for Tesla – aliases astir immoderate of nan electric vehicle giant's rivals.

Under nan system, nan IIHS assigns nan systems a standing of good, acceptable, marginal aliases mediocre based connected its safeguards, and nary of nan automated systems landed an wide standing of "good."

The interior of a Tesla Model S is shown successful autopilot mode successful San Francisco, California, connected April 7, 2016.  (REUTERS/Alexandria Sage/File Photo / Reuters Photos)

Of nan 14 systems rated, 11 were recovered to beryllium "poor," including Tesla's Autopilot and its Full Self-Driving version, which is successful beta testing, on pinch Nissan's ProPILOT Assist 2.0, Mercedes-Benz's Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC pinch Active Steering Assist, Ford's BlueCruise and BMW's Active Driving Assistant.

POWER RESTORED AT TESLA GIGAFACTORY AFTER FAR-LEFT ACTIVIST SABOTAGE

The only strategy that performed worse than Tesla's, according to nan findings, was Volvo's Pilot Assist.

Close-up of nan Tesla Motors logo against a agleam bluish entity successful Pleasanton, California, connected July 23, 2018.  ((Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) / Getty Images)

But nan 3 remaining systems did not person glowing reviews from nan IIHS, either. 

TESLA'S ELECTRIC SEMI-TRUCK TAKES ON DIESEL BIG RIG

The apical strategy was Lexus' Teammate pinch Advanced Drive, which was deemed an wide standing of "acceptable." The No. 2 spot went to General Motors' Super Cruise, and Nissan's ProPILOT Assist pinch Navi-link came successful 3rd – some systems received ratings of "marginal" from nan IIHS.

"Some drivers whitethorn consciousness that partial automation makes agelong drives easier, but location is small grounds it makes driving safer," IIHS President David Harkey said. "As galore high-profile crashes person illustrated, it tin present caller risks erstwhile systems deficiency nan due safeguards."

Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends an arena during nan Vivatech exertion startups and invention adjacent successful Paris connected June 16, 2023.  ((Photo by JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

Tesla and its main executive, Elon Musk, person said that a Tesla operating pinch Autopilot engaged is astir 10 times safer than nan U.S. mean and 5 times safer than a Tesla without nan exertion enabled. Federal regulators are investigating astir 1,000 accidents successful which Tesla's Autopilot was successful use. 

The IIHS reported that it expects manufacturers will proceed to amended their systems' information features, and noted that nan 2 Tesla systems it tested utilized package that preceded nan company's latest software update from December.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

Every automaker that responded to FOX Business' requests for remark connected nan IIHS study touted their commitments to safety.

Nissan added successful its connection that nan institution is "evaluating nan results from nan first-ever Partial Automation Safeguards trial and will proceed to activity pinch IIHS successful each matters related to customer safety."

Ford said, "We person been moving intimately pinch IIHS since BlueCruise was introduced successful 2021. While we do not work together pinch IIHS’s findings, we will return their feedback into information arsenic we proceed to measure early updates."

Mercedes-Benz noted successful its connection that "This caller IIHS testing methodology does not measure nan capacity of nan driver assistance systems, alternatively it focuses connected safeguards to forestall misuse. We return nan findings of nan IIHS partial driving automation safeguard ratings very seriously." 

A Volvo spokesperson said successful a connection that "At Volvo Cars we judge a car is either autonomous aliases not, and astatine nan clip we do not waste immoderate cars pinch what we see to beryllium autonomous driving features." They added, "We’re happy to spot that IIHS is proposing countermeasures and trial protocols seeking to trim nan prevalence of some overreliance connected and misuse of immoderate driving assistance systems."

BMW said "We respect and admit nan efforts of nan IIHS to situation our manufacture to make better, safer vehicles, but occasionally we disagree philosophically astir really to do definite things – successful this case, really driver assistance systems should show driver attraction and successful what situations."

The BMW connection added, "The trial conducted by nan IIHS successful nan BMW X1 evaluated only 1 usability of 1 driver assistance system."

Lexus genitor Toyota besides issued a statement, saying, "Beyond gathering applicable Federal centrifugal conveyance information standards, Toyota continuously purpose to summation conveyance safety.  As a portion of that effort, Toyota, among different things, considers capacity successful third-party testing programs for illustration NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program and IIHS’s Top Safety Pick program."

GM said, "As caller vehicles progressively travel equipped pinch much precocious driver assistance systems (ADAS), efforts for illustration nan partial automation ratings study by nan Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) are important for much robust and unified safeguards. We are judicious astir safely expanding entree to our industry-first hands-free system, Super Cruise, which is meant to service arsenic an enhancement to nan driving experience. Super Cruise is an ADAS, not a information feature."

Tesla did not respond to FOX Business' petition for remark connected nan findings.

Reuters contributed to this report.