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  • Autonomous driving technology has come a long way, but how good is good enough?
  • Is it okay if autonomous vehicles are simply as good as human drivers or do they need to be better?

Nearly seven years ago, GM CEO Mary Barra said we were in the “midst of a transportation revolution” that would lead to a future with zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion. Time hasn’t been kind to that idealistic dream as electric vehicle adoption is slowing and the autonomous landscape is looking a lot less rosy.

However, we’re focusing on autonomous vehicles today as Tesla is gearing up to introduce their RoboTaxi this summer while Cruise is looking to move past a high-profile accident. The latter begs an important question, how safe is safe enough for autonomous vehicles?

More: Cruise Returning To The Streets Of Phoenix With Human Drivers

While there are six levels of automation, we’ll focus on Level 4 and Level 5 systems that don’t require humans to operate. In an ideal world, you’d own or hail a vehicle with this technology and it would automatically drive to your location. The vehicle would then safely transport you to your destination, while you took a nap or relaxed.

However, we don’t live in an ideal world. Humans are unpredictable, irrational, and occasionally careless. Technology can help, but can it anticipate every possible scenario involving motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists?

That seems unlikely, despite a lot of grandiose promises from executives and tech firms. Furthermore, good is a lot easier to achieve than perfection, and this could make roads safer in the meantime.

While there are a lot of ways to think about this, where should the line be drawn? Are autonomous vehicles okay if they’re simply as good as human drivers? Do they need to be better or are any accidents unacceptable?

This opens up uncomfortable questions as we’re left wondering how many people can be sacrificed. That being said, preliminary estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggest 40,990 people died in motor vehicle crashes last year and there were 1.26 deaths per 100 million miles driven.

Many would argue those numbers are too high and any drop would be a step in the right direction. However, how good is good enough when it comes to autonomous driving technology?

How Safe Is Safe Enough For Autonomous Vehicles?