[riskable]

I think the problem we're seeing here is that Tesla's autopilot system is on the cusp of a fully automated driving experience and that feels good enough to the driver. Yet it's not quite good enough, as we can see from the mistakes it has made.

Honestly, I see this as a necessary transition pain towards fully automated vehicles. No matter how you slice it there's going to be periods where fully automated driving systems aren't quite there yet but are good enough 97% of the time that human drivers let their guard down. It's going to take some sacrifices to get to fully autonomous driving.

The good news is that even with these accidents self-driving features are a bazillion times safer than human drivers. It sure seems like the occasional vehicle collision into stationary objects is going to throw a great big wrench into self-driving safety statistics but it isn't even a rounding error compared to the sheer number of accidents caused by human drivers.