The bad press experienced by fully autonomous (SAE Level 4) robotaxis has made developers aware that the industry needs a cultural reassessment to continue drawing in investors and customers. Meanwhile, the global market for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is expected to follow a steady upward trajectory. By 2029, Statista forecasts that it will reach US$125.4bn, up 116% from its 2024 valuation.
With a significantly less complicated technological challenge to overcome, several legacy automakers are iterating Level 2 (partial automation) systems. These include General Motors (Super Cruise), Ford (BlueCruise), and Tesla (Autopilot). Since 2020, performance assessment programme Euro NCAP has provided consumers with graded safety information on the assisted driving tech available on the market.
However, the actual safety of partial driving automation systems is disputed. In a March 2024 announcement, the US nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) introduced its own ratings system. In a blow to the claims that ADAS could be a tool for safer roads, the IIHS found that only 7% of those it tested were deemed “acceptable.”
