Study Finds that Most Drivers Are Scared of Self-Driving Cars

Majority of Drivers Are Afraid of Autonomous Cars, Study Says

The dream of fully self-driving cars is still far from reality, as a recent study from AAA revealed that a majority of people actually fear autonomous vehicles. Surprisingly, this fear has been on the rise in recent years, while public trust in self-driving cars has decreased.

According to AAA, 66 percent of respondents expressed fear towards self-driving vehicles, up from 55 percent in 2022 but down from 68 percent in the previous year. The percentage of those who trust autonomous vehicles remained stable at 9 percent, with 25 percent unsure about them. These numbers have decreased from 15 and 30 percent, respectively, in 2022.

While consumers may have concerns about autonomous vehicles, they are open to certain technological driving aids. More than half of the respondents showed interest in features like automatic braking, reverse automatic braking, and lane keep assist. However, only 42 percent were interested in active driving assist, and 49 percent supported adaptive cruise control.

Despite the interest in technological driving aids, a separate AAA study revealed that they may not always be reliable. The research found that automatic rear braking systems were not effective in preventing collisions, with only one out of 40 test runs avoiding a crash. Additionally, half of the cars failed to stop for pedestrians standing behind the vehicle.

For now, the widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles is still a distant prospect. General Motors’ Cruise division has faced safety challenges, while Google’s Waymo remains one of the few companies actively pursuing the development of self-driving technology. Waymo recently expanded its robotaxi service to Los Angeles, but the technology is still years away from being integrated into everyday passenger vehicles.