Tesla and Waymo Should Learn From the Air Crashes of 2024

Paranoid safety culture of the aviation sector stands to benefit makers of driverless cars—and their passengers.

- David Fickling

If you yearn for a future where you can travel from place to place in safety and comfort, some of the major transport events of 2024 might feel like a setback. Don't give up hope.

The crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216 on Dec 29, killing all but two of the 181 on board, and the death of 38 four days earlier when Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was apparently being erroneously targeted by Russian anti-aircraft weapons helped give the year the worst death toll in commercial aviation since 2018.

It was a similar situation on the ground. For a decade, autonomous driving has promised to bring aviation's normally enviable safety record to the world's roads. In 2024, it seemed to hit a roadblock—or at least halted in front of a harmless plastic bag and caused a traffic jam, as one confused Chinese robotaxi did earlier that year.

Apple in February 2024 junked its 10-year, secretive plan to build a self-driving electric car. In May 2024, Hyundai Motor and parts-maker Aptiv halted their multibillion-dollar Motional joint venture. In December, General Motors pulled the plug on its Cruise self-driving car project, having spent about US$9 billion (S$12.3 billion) since acquiring the business in 2016. Mr. Elon Musk, to be sure, unveiled a promised Tesla robotaxi—but, given his record, it's anyone's guess when, or if, that project will make it to the roads.