ORLANDO, Fla. (May 22, 2018) – In the wake of high-profile incidents involving self-driving technology, a new AAA report tracking a multi-year study finds that consumer trust in these vehicles is plummeting. Three-quarters (73%) of U.S. drivers now say they would be scared to ride in a fully self-driving vehicle, up from 63% in late 2017. Additionally, two-thirds (63%) of U.S. adults say they would actually feel uncomfortable sharing the road with a self-driving vehicle while walking or biking.
“Despite the potential to make roads safer in the long run, consumers have high expectations for safety,” said Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of automotive engineering and industry relations. “Our findings indicate that any accident involving an autonomous vehicle is likely to shake consumer trust, a key element for widespread acceptance of self-driving cars.”
Surprisingly, AAA’s latest survey found that millennials, the generation that was the quickest to embrace self-driving technology, are the ones most affected by these accidents: The percentage of millennial drivers who say they are too scared to ride in fully self-driving cars has skyrocketed from 49% to 64% since late 2017, the largest increase of any generation surveyed.
“When self-driving cars are being tested, there is always the possibility that they will malfunction or encounter situations that challenge even the most advanced systems,” said Megan Foster, AAA’s director of federal affairs. “To ease concerns, safety measures must be put in place to protect vehicle occupants and the motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians who share the roads with them.”
AAA supports thorough testing of evolving autonomous vehicle technologies, including testing in increasingly complex driving scenarios and under a wide range of conditions, but without sacrificing safety. Additionally, to prevent accidental misuse of the systems, AAA advocates for common sense, a common nomenclature and classification system, and similar performance characteristics for future autonomous vehicle technologies.
“Today’s safety systems can have dozens of different marketing names,” Brannon continues. “Learning how to operate a vehicle equipped with semi-autonomous technology is difficult enough without having to decipher the equipment list and corresponding levels of autonomy.”
AAA is committed to continued, unbiased testing of autonomous driving technologies to help consumers understand the effectiveness of new automotive technologies. Previous tests of automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automated parking technology and lane keeping systems have shown high expectations and wide variation. AAA’s upcoming tests will examine how well systems can work together to achieve higher levels of automation.
AAA provides automotive, travel, insurance and financial services to more than 58 million members through a federated organization of 36 auto clubs and nearly 1,100 chapters across North America. Nonprofit and fully tax-paid since 1902, AAA has been the pioneer and advocate for safe travels. Drivers can use the AAA mobile app to request roadside assistance, check nearby gas prices, find discounts, book hotels, map routes and more. To join, visit AAA.com.
