March 3, 2023–Self-driving functions in new vehicles are becoming more common, but data has shown that the average American is distrustful of it, Jalopnik reports.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) conducted a survey recently where roughly 1,000 American adults were asked a series of questions about self-driving vehicles.
According to Automotive News, survey data showed that 68 percent of respondents were “afraid to ride in automated vehicles;” an increase from 55 percent in 2022.
The survey does not bode well for manufacturers currently investing billions of dollars in self-driving technology, as Jalopnik points out, and suggests that when it comes to advertising itself as a reliable, sensible option for the average American, self-driving vehicles will have a long road ahead to gain that trust.
Director of automotive research for AAA, Greg Brannon, had told Automotive News that while his team was “not expecting such a dramatic decline in trust from previous years,” it makes sense considering the number of stories in the news concerning accidents related to self-driving vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, too, has expressed caution toward self-driving technology: the Administration has stated that Teslas equipped with Full Self-Driving software could drive straight through an intersection without stopping.
