Self-driving cars breed dangerous driver complacency
Source: NYT > Business (paywall)
As autonomous systems handle routine highway driving more reliably, human operators check out mentally—creating a safety gap when the car needs hands back on the wheel. The technology doesn't fail catastrophically; it succeeds just enough to lull drivers into inattention, then fails in edge cases where a prepared driver might have intervened. This dynamic is forcing manufacturers and regulators to confront a hard truth: better automation without corresponding human engagement mechanisms makes roads measurably less safe, not more.