(DURHAM) -- Self-driving cars are becoming more of a reality. How soon they'll be available and how safe they will be are two important questions ahead of these cars being available to the general public. Duke University professor Missy Cummings, an expert on autonomous vehicles - says it's a mixed bag in terms of safety.

"There has been some preliminary research that has shown that self-driving cars right now are safer than teenagers, but they are not safer than your average middle-aged driver on the road," Cummings said.

Duke is currently working with the National Science Foundation on how cars can communicate with pedestrians to avoid pedestrian-related accidents.