Autonomous vehicles seem like a science fiction topic more so than an automotive one, but industry experts are plugging away, refining the technology and determining its role in society. That is the abbreviated version anyway. Those working on autonomous cars are, essentially, trying to make them viable, scalable, and ultimately profitable.
Autonomous cars usher in a flood of headline commitments from manufacturers and companies. The benefits of driverless cars – far more than the risks – are communicated, and it seems almost too Utopian at times. This is not to say autonomous cars don’t have benefits – they certinately do – and this is not to say autonomous cars won’t one day hit the road – they certinately will. Yet how quickly they will, and how quickly society will realize those benefits is another matter.
And how does the public feel about all this" The short answer is not so good.
Photo: Alex Hartman for Sense Media.
Survey Says
AAA recently concluded a multi-year tracking study that examined how consumers feel about driverless cars. The study found that, despite the industry’s headline commitments and grand visions, 73 percent of Americans say they are too afraid to ride in an autonomous car. This represents a steady increase too – only late last year, the figure was 63 percent. The jump is likely attributed to the recent, highly publicized accidents involving autonomous technology.
“Despite their ...