Consumer trust in autonomous vehicles drops in US

A new report has found that consumer trust in self-driving vehicles has significantly declined following multiple incidents involving autonomous vehicle technologies, including a fatal accident.

Nearly three-fourths (73%) of US drivers who participated in the American Automobile Association (AAA) survey said that they would be too afraid to ride in a fully self-driving vehicle, up from 63% in late last year.

Furthermore, 63% of respondents said they would feel less safe sharing the road with a self-driving vehicle while walking or riding a bicycle.

AAA Automotive Engineering and Industry Relations director Greg Brannon said: “Despite their potential to make our roads safer in the long run, consumers have high expectations for safety.

“Our results show that any incident involving an autonomous vehicle is likely to shake consumer trust, which is a critical component to the widespread acceptance of autonomous vehicles.”

The latest survey found that millennials were most affected by incidents involving autonomous cars.

Approximately 64% of respondents from the group said that they are too scared to ride in a fully self-driving vehicle against 49% last year.

AAA Federal Affairs director Megan Foster said: “While autonomous vehicles are being tested, there’s always a chance that they will fail or encounter a situation that challenges even the most advanced system.

“To ease fears, there must be safeguards in place to protect vehicle occupants and the motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians with whom they share the road.”

Accordingly, AAA has advocated thorough testing of new automated vehicle technologies in the developmental stages.

It said that these technologies must be tested under different driving scenarios and conditions without compromising safety.

Additionally, it supports the implementation of various initiatives to prevent the accidental misuse of the systems.