The distinction between assisted and autonomous driving will be crucial

Rafaela Vasquez, the safety-driver employed by Uber, was not in the loop when the self-driving Volvo XC90 used by the company struck pedestrian Elaine Herzberg. The failure of the vehicle to alert Vasquez that her intervention was required, along with the vehicle’s failure to recognise that her attention was not on the road, lends some credibility to concerns that SAE Level 3 systems are not fit for truly autonomous applications. Instead, they raise difficult questions around control and liability, and risk confusing drivers and endangering lives.