> sensationalized stories about self-driving deaths.
I disagree that they're sensationalized. Self-driving systems are designed to improve user safety, but when they end up making mistakes that human drivers _wouldn't_ make then it's appropriate to thoroughly investigate these systems.
> is because they were self-driving.
Well, precisely. We tolerate driving accidents because we know that the mobility that cars provide end up offering far more value to the world than the occasional accidents that we end up tolerating.
What's the trade with self-driving cars? What is the technology enabling that is worth the possible additional risks?
> car getting in a minor fenderbender and equating it with the safety of the entire car industry?
I don't think that comparison offers anything interesting, and it ignores the long and storied history of improving automobile safety. Look into Ralph Naders "Unsafe At Any Speed" if you really want to see people looking at "regular" accidents and deciding there was something to be fixed.