They always say self-driving cars are safer, but the way they prove it feels kind of dishonest. They compare crash data from all human drivers, including people who are distracted, drunk, tired, or just reckless, to self-driving cars that have top-tier sensors and operate only in very controlled areas, like parts of Phoenix or San Francisco. These cars do not drive in snow, heavy rain, or complex rural roads. They are pampered.
If you actually compared them to experienced, focused human drivers, the kind who follow traffic rules and pay attention, the safety gap would not look nearly as big. In fact, it might even be the other way around.
And nobody talks about the dumb mistakes these systems make. Like stopping dead in traffic because of a plastic bag, or swerving for no reason, or not understanding basic hand signals from a cop. An alert human would never do those things. These are not rare edge cases. They happen often enough to be concerning.
Calling this tech safer right now feels premature. It is like saying a robot that walks perfectly on flat ground is better at hiking than a trained mountaineer, just because it has not fallen yet.
that is why I'm waiting on independent analysis. The data exists. I've never seen someone who isn't biased look at the data.