Tesla, Uber Deaths Raise Questions About the Perils of Partly Autonomous Driving

But both incidents have a troubling link, autonomous-vehicle specialists say: a human was at the wheel and could have taken control. "This is what I've called the mushy middle of automation," said Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina assistant professor of law and specialist on autonomous cars, referring to vehicles with some automation but still a driver at the wheel. "There will certainly be more incidents," he said. "It's dangerous when people feel safer than they actually are." Auto makers are gradually rolling out partially automated systems that pass control back and forth between vehicle and driver.