Uptown Collision

Most People Don't Trust Self-Driving Cars

Self-driving vehicles represent the greatest step toward total automotive and pedestrian safety since the universal use of the airbag, yet Americans seem to remain reticent about this huge leap into the future of transportation.

At Uptown Collision, we are anxious to see how the autonomous age will change our lives for all of us at Houston, TX and all over the world. So, that's why we found this information so interesting when we found it online.

The numbers show that most people--78%--do not want to ride in a self-driving vehicle, based on a study conducted by the AAA. Only 13% of those people surveyed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology agreed they would be comfortable in a vehicle with features that would relieve the driver of all control. So, we can clearly see that right now consumers are not enamored with the idea of using self-driving vehicles for their daily commutes or even for a three-day weekend road trip.

Congress’s current approach would be to delegate to the NHTSA the full responsibility of writing policies for self-driving vehicles, particularly in the areas of safety, cybersecurity, consumer privacy and the disclosure of pertinent crash data. The problem is that the NHTSA isn't excited about doing the job, recently diluting an existing set of voluntary guidelines on autonomous transportation.. Regrettably, this should not be a surprise to anyone, because the NHTSA has not bothered to write any laws or enforce the law on much simpler issues. They don't require manufacturers to install rearview cameras at this point and yet to implement rules mandating back-seat safety-belt warnings.

Most people trust the technology, but they have problems with all of the other things that will be accompanying the autonomous age. Things like changes in roads, mapping systems, GPS systems, local traffic laws and questions about insurance and vehicle registrations--consumers are concerned about these things more than the actual self-driving vehicles themselves.

The cars of our future have the potential be the safest, most efficient and most environmentally-friendly vehicles ever made. One can easily understand the full economic potential of self-driving cars, but Americans are right to be concerned about a lack of oversight and the absence of corporate caution in a rush to be the very first. So, let’s all take a deep breath, slow down and let's all arrive at our destination happy, alive and in one piece.

Sources: Autoweek, Car & Driver, Parts & People