Technologists sometimes describe auto makers as mere “metal benders.” It’s true that many of us have been around for more than a century—long before software companies invented the concept of “public beta testing.” But with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration set to introduce guidelines for autonomous vehicles, it’s worth remembering that there’s a lot of metal involved and it’s moving at great speed.

Software companies actively aim to fail fast. They experiment in the real world to work out kinks as they go. This makes sense for those developing a smartphone operating system, but fine-tuning on the fly isn’t feasible in the automotive world. Automated-vehicle technology can dramatically improve the safety and efficiency of the transportation system, but it’s all at risk. How companies developing this technology proceed over the next few years will determine whether the public actually accepts these innovations.

No model on the road today drives itself. Yet auto makers new and old continue to oversell current technology, prematurely suggesting that vehicles with automated-driving functions are actually self-driving. The media has often failed to vet these claims. As auto makers, we must resist the temptation to exaggerate and remain honest about the technology’s limits.

Recklessly introducing the future risks losing the most critical component of the equation: the consumer. Hype will only set false expectations with an undecided public. Some 57% of Americans are more worried than excited about the rise of automated vehicles, according to a Morning Consult survey. A plurality thinks that when full automation comes years from now, self-driving vehicles will make roads less safe. And a 54% majority believes that self-driving cars will make traffic worse.

It’s no wonder many motorists mistrust an innovation very few people have seen in action. An array of terms—driverless, self-driving, robotic—vie to define some version of the same technology. Add up all the different state laws and regulations, and public confusion can hardly come as a surprise. Charting a clear, deliberate path forward that establishes a common understanding is the only way to successfully see this transformation through.