Three-fourths of Americans afraid to ride in self-driving car

Three-fourths of Americans afraid to ride in self-driving car

Three out of four U.S. drivers report feeling –afraid” to ride in a self-driving car, according to a recent survey from American Automobile Association (AAA). Despite this fear, AAA also found that drivers who own vehicles equipped with semi-autonomous features are, on average, 75 percent more likely to trust the technology than those who do not own it, suggesting that gradual experience with these advanced features can ease consumer fears.

–American drivers may be hesitant to give up full control,” said John Nielsen, AAAês managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. –What Americans may not realize is that the building blocks toward self-driving cars are already in todayês vehicles and the technology is constantly improving and trusted by those who have experienced it.”

The AAA survey found that consumer demand for semi-autonomous vehicle technology is high. The reasons offer some useful information for dealership salespeople. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed report wanting at least one of the following technologies on their next vehicle: Automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, self-parking technology or lane-keeping assist. Among those who want those features, their primary motivation is safety (most wanted by baby-boomers), followed by convenience (most wanted by millennials), reducing stress (most wanted by women) and wanting the latest technology (millennials).

Among those who do not want the semi-autonomous features, the most cited reasons are: Trusting their driving skills more than the technology; feeling the technology is too new and unproven; not wanting to pay extra for it; not knowing enough about the technology, and finding it annoying.