Automakers are working on driverless cars, but a recent Harris poll shows that most adults aren’t yet ready to embrace the idea of autonomous vehicles. It showed that an overwhelming majority of 88 percent of adult drivers are worried about driverless cars.
The study polled 2,039 adults who were 18 years and older to come up with its final results which show that, no matter how keen automakers are to investigate autonomous technology, drivers aren’t there yet. Only 12 percent of those surveyed said they wouldn’t be worried about riding in a driverless car.
Most of people’s concerns center, not surprisingly, around safety issues with 79 percent worrying about mechanical failure. It’s not just a matter of the car being able to drive itself, but of whether it will consistently do it correctly every time you start the engine.
We’ve all sat down at a computer that’s been working fine for weeks only to have it suddenly start having issues. Calling the IT guys is one thing, but having your car go on the blink and start doing who knows what is a lot scarier.
It’s not just mechanical failure that’s a safety concern, but the possibility of the car being hacked with 59 percent worried that someone could take control of their car without permission. There are also concerns about liability if the vehicle is involved in an accident with 59 percent worrying about who would take the blame in a crash if no one is actually at the wheel.
Another issue is the possibility of car companies, insurers, and the government collecting information through driverless technology. With so many people having concerns about identity theft, an autonomous car seems like just one more thing to hack to steal your personal information.
They also worry that it could provide an opportunity to collect data that you don’t want to provide. Drivers don’t necessarily want insurers knowing how fast they drive to work each morning.
Autonomous cars are coming, and to some degree are already here, but Automakers will have to overcome both technical obstacles and consumer objections as they get closer to becoming an everyday reality.
Check out this video of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class driving itself…
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole also writes for NerdApproved and GeekMom.
