The public thinks Tesla's Autopilot is safer than it is, an insurance group says

For years, automakers have been offering driver-assist technologies on many new cars. The software and sensors can help drivers stay in their lane, maintain a steady speed and, in some cases, change lanes to avoid other vehicles.

But drivers don't fully understand the technologies' capabilities and limitations, according to a study released Thursday by a leading insurance industry group.

That disconnect between what tech can do and what people think it can do leads to risky driver behavior that has resulted in crashes, injuries and deaths, and it could provoke a backlash against potentially life-saving driverless cars, said the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which is funded by