Self-driving in the right direction?

A new survey commissioned by the RAC Foundation has indicated that the UK public has misgivings about the development of autonomous vehicle technology. The data from the Ipsos MORI survey showed that half (50%) of those interviewed were concerned about future driver-assistance technologies taking too much control away from the driver. By contract, only 20% said they were unconcerned.

Furthermore, only about 24% said we should be working towards fully-autonomous cars, while 42%  maintained that we should not.

As one might expect, the strongest support for a greater reliance on technology comes from drivers who already use it. Nearly half (47%) of people who have cars with driver-assist features say they feel safer on the roads as a result, with only one in five (20%) disagreeing.

This could be significant because, as the report authors point out: “It would seem that demonstrating safety benefits is likely to prove the most successful way to win the hearts and minds of those yet to be convinced by autonomous vehicles and driver assistance technologies.”