It's time to tap the brakes on self-driving cars

Carmakers and tech companies are in a race to put autonomous vehicles on the road, and it's time for regulators to tap the brakes. This month the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that it is investigating two crashes involving Tesla vehicles allegedly operating on autopilot. Tesla's autopilot feature is a semi-autonomous system that uses cameras, radar and sensors to steer the car, change lanes, adjust speed and even find a parking space and parallel park. It's not supposed to turn a Tesla sedan into a self-driving car, but there's ample evidence on YouTube of people driving with their hands off the steering wheel, playing games and even climbing into the back seat while their car is hurtling down a freeway. You and your daughter are riding in a driverless car along Pacific Coast Highway.