So cases like this show how one small electrical fault due to a sensor can cause potentially fatal collisions, So should we really be prepared to put our lives in the hands of one of these sensors?. The truth is that over the years especially after cases such as this, companies now thoroughly test each and every component before they are put into production to ensure their product will not fail and affect the user\’s safety even under the harshest of conditions. And so now safety is number one priority when it comes to producing vehicles and so now vehicles are ensured to be as safe as ever. Not only are the existing components tested under extreme conditions companies have also added to safety features to ensure extra safety, For example in Tesla’s vehicles it uses one of the 8 sensors to constantly monitor your blind spots and if needs be the vehicle will take over and stop you from entering a dangerous situation.

Many of these sensors on autonomous vehicles allow the vehicle to use a lane assist feature meaning that if the driver starts to sway or move into the next lane the vehicle will automatically adjust keeping you in your lane and keeping you out of potential dangers, however this lane assist feature relies heavily on the markings on the road which over the years have become more and more worn after millions of cars drive over them every day, and so could this mean that we also need to redesign our roads to accept autonomous vehicles?. In Tesla’s vehicles not only does it incorporate 8 cameras but it also includes 12 ultrasonic sensors around the vehicle which allow the vehicle to make judgements of distance even in the worst of conditions including fog, rain, snow and even through another car. And so using these ultrasonic sensors it allows the car to see not only its close surroundings but also what is happening on the roads up ahead and around you, this allows the vehicle to determine possible hazards and react to those in order to keep the user as safe as possible and even make decisions on behalf of the user.

Not only have Tesla added these safety and autonomous features but they are also continuously improving them and update your vehicle via ‘over the air updates’ which add and update any additional safety or navigation features without ever needing to take the vehicle to a garage or to the main dealer