Americans want self-driving connected car tech but are afraid of fully autonomous

The Automobile Club reports that a majority  U.S. drivers want autonomous technologies in their next vehicle, but they are still afraid of fully self-driving cars.

Even though autonomous vehicles are expect to will be safer, more efficient and more convenient than their human-driven counterparts, three-quarters of U.S. drivers report feeling afraid to ride in a self-driving car, and only 10 percent report that they’d actually feel safer sharing the roads with driverless vehicles. Because automakers are pushing for self-driving tech, AAA suggests the gradual, safe introduction of these technologies to ensure that American drivers are informed, prepared and comfortable with this shift in mobility.

In 2016, a AAA survey found that three-quarters of Americans reported feeling afraid to ride in a self-driving car. One year later, a new AAA survey found that fear is unchanged. However the survey also found that the majority (59%) of Americans are keen to have autonomous features in their next vehicle. AAA suggests the finding indicates that American drivers are ready embrace autonomous technology, but they are not yet ready to give up full control.

“U.S. drivers may experience the driver assistance technologies in their cars today and feel they don’t work consistently enough to replace a human driver – and they’re correct,” said Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of Automotive Engineering and Industry Relations. . “While these technologies will continue to improve over time, it’s important that consumers understand that today’s systems require your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.”

• Three‐quarters of U.S. drivers would be afraid to ride in a self‐driving vehicle, while 19 percent would trust the vehicle and 4 percent are unsure.
• Women (85%) are more likely to be afraid than men (69%).
•  Baby Boomers (85%) are more likely to be afraid than Millennials (73%) and Generation X (75%) drivers.
• One‐half (54%) of drivers would feel less safe sharing the road with self‐driving cars while they drive a regular car. One‐third (34%) feel itmakes no difference, 10 percent would feel safer and 2 percent are unsure.
• Women (58%) are more likely to feel less safe sharing the road with a self‐driving vehicle than men (49%).
• Baby Boomers (60%) and Generationn X (56%) are more likely to feel less safe sharing the road with a self‐driving vehicle than
  Millennial drivers (41%).
• Six out of ten (59%) drivers want autonomous technology in the next vehicle they buy or lease, 25 percent would not want the technology and 16 percent may or may not want the technology.
•  Millennial drivers (70%) are more likely to want this technology in the next vehicle than Generation X (54%) or Baby Boomers (51%).
• Eight in ten (81%) drivers feel autonomous systems should all work the same way, regardless of who the vehicle manufacturer is.
• The majority (59%) of U.S. drivers want autonomous vehicle technology in their next vehicle, while the remainder do not (25%) or are unsure (16%).

However the technology that leads to AV (autonomous vehicle) is highly desirable and wanted by drivers. A majority of American drivers want Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Self-Parking and Land Departure Warning/Lane Keep Assist.

To educate consumers on the effectiveness of emerging vehicle technologies, AAA is committed to the on-going, unbiased testing of automated vehicle technologies. Previous testing of automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, self-parking technology and lane keeping systems has shown both great promise and great variation. This variation may be particularly concerning to consumers, with AAA’s survey revealing that 81 percent of Americans feel that automated vehicle systems should all work similarly and consistently across all vehicle manufacturers. Future AAA testing will look at how well systems work together to achieve higher levels of automation.