Drivers of self-driving cars can rely too much on autopilot, and that's a recipe for disaster

A recent investigation revealed that the autopilot in Tesla vehicles would switch off when a collision is imminent. (AP Photo/David Zalubowsi, File)

We were promised a very near future where autonomous machines would be serving our needs and vehicle ownership would be rendered unnecessary: robots would quickly and efficiently deliver our orders and we could squeeze in a few more hours of work or sleep while being chauffeured around in self-driving cars.

Progress has been made, at least, on some of this. University campuses and cities across North America have indeed witnessed the growing presence of small food-delivery robots. Likewise, new partnerships have recently been announced to develop and test the safety of self-driving trucks.