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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Driverless cars were once something we used to watch in sci-fi movies. Now, we’re closer to watching sci-fi movies in driverless cars.
This week, as the UK government took new steps to achieve its 2030 electric vehicle target, Sarah O’Connor discussed the merits of another ambitious automotive goal — self-driving cars whose record on safety could ultimately “save lives”.
Both Google’s Waymo and Tesla founder Elon Musk — who plans to launch a driverless ride-hailing service in Austin, Texas, this year — have claimed that automated road travel is not only imminent, but also safer than the status quo.
Road safety is a worthy goal, O’Connor writes, but the status quo is surprisingly safe. In 2022, the latest year for which there is data, the fatality rate was a mere 1.33 deaths per 100mn vehicle miles travelled. The data for driverless cars is less forgiving, partially because there is so little of it.
Nevertheless, Musk, head of the new Department of Government Efficiency, is gearing up for a step-change. On Wednesday, he announced plans to start production of a fleet of autonomous taxis, known as “cybercabs”, in 2026. But his enthusiasm contrasts sharply with public sentiment.
Many US drivers have expressed reservations about fully driverless technology. The share of US drivers who say they are “afraid” of automated cars has risen from 54 in 2021 to 66 per cent in 2024, while trust has dropped from 14 per cent to 9 per cent in 2024.
There may be less evidence that driverless cars are dangerous, but there is little evidence that it is any safer than the human alternative.
So what do you think? Are driverless cars safer than those driven by humans? Tell us your view by voting in our poll or commenting below the line.
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