Most Americans remain uncertain of self-driving cars, but a new AAA survey found some vehicle technologies offering semi-autonomous capabilities are finding wider acceptance.
AAA revealed that 66 percent of U.S. drivers were “fearful” of self-driving cars, while 25 percent were “uncertain.” Only 9 percent trusted self-driving cars enough to be a passenger. And while fully autonomous vehicles are not commercially available, nearly one in ten drivers (8 percent) believe they are available for purchase and can drive while they sleep.
“Education and transparency are key as we move towards a future where safety and innovation converge,” AAA Northern California spokesperson John Treanor said.
The survey also revealed a growing interest in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), with U.S. drivers indicating interest in most of these systems:
• Automatic Emergency Braking (63%)
• Reverse Automatic Emergency Braking (62%)
• Lane Keeping Assistance (58%)
• Adaptive Cruise Control (55%)
• Active Driving Assistance (46%)
“These technologies are meant to aid drivers, not replace them. The promise in enhancing road safety can only be realized when drivers know how, when and where to use these systems properly. AAA has been at the forefront of educating drivers and will continue to work with manufacturers and policy makers to give drivers the resources to make the most of these features,” Treanor said.
Methodology
The survey was conducted January 11-16, 2024, using a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. household population overall. The panel provides sample coverage of approximately 97% of the U.S. household population. Most surveys were completed online; consumers without Internet access were surveyed over the phone.
A total of 1,220 interviews were completed among U.S. adults, 18 years of age or older, of which 1,010 qualified for the study. The margin of error for the study overall is 4.1% at the 95% confidence level. Smaller subgroups have larger error margins.
14 comments
Self driving cars still have issues. But as a person that spent 35 years driving on our local roads for a living, they have less issues than human drivers do. We have to be alert for human drivers running red lights just after they change, blowing through red lights because they are on their “device,” speeding, drunk drivers and bad drivers. Pedestrians and bicyclists are at risk from human drivers. Self driving vehicles will continually get better, but only if they get real road experience. Something human drivers don’t seem to do.
The rear cross-traffic alert isn’t mentioned, but I’ve found it very helpful when backing out of a parking lot space next to a truck that’s blocking vison toward the right. All of these safety features are helpful, but you still need to keep your phone out of your hand while driving.
This is the exact reason I back into a space. I have full field of vision when I leave. No bling spots. Keep in mind all the safety features are adding to the price of a new car and the price of insurance as cars become more expensive to repair or replace. I learned to drive 40 years ago. Still don’t need those safety features. But then I drive with two hands on the wheel and two eyes on the road.
Worked with computer controlled industrial automation for a few decades, have seen first hand what happens when it hiccups or goes brain dead. We have driving assistance in our mid 1990s vehicles, she just doesn’t have a brake pedal on her side.
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One thing have never gotten an answer to, when a self driving car’s software has a nervous breakdown, do the windows turn blue ? ? ? ?
This is why I like older cars, no computer, no electronic components, nothing that can and will malfunction. Modern cars have hundreds of sensors, and thousands of semiconductor chips. A self-driving car can have over 3,000 chips. Too much that can go wrong, and way too expensive to repair. The diagnosis alone can be very costly.
I agree. Too many bells and whistles on the newer vehicles and it becomes confusing. Gets old having to rely on the owners manual all the time to figure out why the dash has some weird imoji lit up. I’ll stick with a hot rod from the 60S, a pickup and Jeep from the early 2000’s and a newer zip around town good mileage car for navigating the Bay Area clown show.
I can’t believe any polls.
Too many people have too many personal agendas.
It’s sad to distrust just about everything.
I’d love to have my own self-driving car.
I think they would be great.
I’ll just leave this here: https://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2017/03/the-cia-may-have-planned-assassinations-using-self-driving-cars-wikileaks.html
When China invades, they’ll mass hack every modern-enough car on the US roads they can, floor the accelerator and crank the wheel, jamming up every road with bloody cars and bodies, stopping all travel cold. Of course USA will do the same thing back, or maybe USA will do it first.
Modern cars tattle on you to your insurance company so they can raise your rates. Modern governments use them as assasination tools. Modern cars spy on your family and you and sell that information for profit and hand it over to the government when requested. https://torontosun.com/news/world/having-sex-in-your-new-car-nissan-and-kia-can-track-it-study-finds
Just buy an old car.
Did we learn nothing from The Terminator or Terminator 2 ?
I remain cautious of cars driven by humans…
I don’t trust them yet, though I also don’t trust most drivers either. I don’t want one, as I enjoy driving and want to be in control. I rarely even use cruise control and prefer a manual transmission. I’ve driven about a million miles (so far!) and about 3/4 of that has been with a manual transmission.
An even bigger issue is all of the autonomous air taxis (self flying) and delivery vehicles that many companies are working on.
Another even bigger issue in my opinion is remotely piloted airliners. The two highest paid people of any flight crew are the two people flying the airplane. The first step will be to replace the first officer (copilot) with the autopilot and provide a “panic button” in case the pilot is incapacitated. This is already in production on some models of turboprop aircraft currently in production using an autoland system made by Garmin. In addition to some single engine aircraft, it is installed in the Beechcraft King Air, a twin turboprop. There is a “panic button” or switch that is accessible to all on the aircraft. When activated, the system declares an emergency to ATC (air traffic control), locates the closest suitable airport, navigates to the airport while communicating with ATC, lands the airplane and then shuts down the engine(s).
The next step is to eliminate the pilot and have the airliner be flown autonomously.
I’m more concerned about the thousands of dopeheads newscum and that disease becton let out on our streets. They are trashing up Concord, pooping peeing everywhere and disrupting traffic. At least one a week gets killed running out in front of traffic. They’re going into stores robbing anything they can with NO CONSEQUENCES and you idiot council puppets want us to believe this is the happiest place in earth??? Did LSD make a comeback or something because you so called moton council puppets are trippin on it!
Some of us are gonna have to die before they get it right. Been true of every major technology introduced to us so far. Hopefully no one you know and care about. Or gods forbid, Atticus!
Right now no one seems to have an answer to the question: If a self-driving car hits someone, who is responsible? Is it the owner? The software developer? The car company? Until they figure that out I’m not going to feel great about them being on the roads.
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