Despite all the benefits that self-driving cars would carry with them, the fact that we have to completely rely on a machine in such a volatile environment as our roads, has plenty of people worried.
According to a study directed by Continental Tires, the majority of UK motorists (three in five) are worried about the safety (or lack of) of autonomous vehicles.
In fact, 51% of them are worried about what would happen if the technology failed and the vehicle broke down while the driver wasn’t in control, while 40% simply don’t trust the concept of a self-driving car altogether. A fifth of motorists even say that autonomous vehicles scare them, and in a way, that’s understandable.
This research is part of Continental’s ‘Vision Zero’ commitment, which aims to eliminate accidents not just through automotive systems but also through innovative tire technologies.
Despite voicing those concerns, the 2,000 people who were surveyed did recognize the benefits of self-driving cars, such as having safer roads, more efficient and shorter journey times and having to concentrate less on driving and more on reading, eating or working.
Yet, when they were asked about how they view the car of the future, a quarter of UK motorists believe that car manufacturers and technology companies might be exaggerating what is currently possible – which is a scary thought, especially since a car and its systems can only be as reliable as the infrastructure on which it operates. Let’s not forget that there are plenty of countries with extremely poor road conditions which require a human mind to navigate around potholes, water-filled streets (poor drainage) and so on.
These results have been released just before the end of the Consumer Technology Show, which is interesting considering how only five years ago no automotive brands were even present at CES.
“There are very exciting times ahead with the advent of automated technology, though with any advance comes concerns. As a leading automotive business we play an important role in educating people about safety, right across the vehicle from our automotive systems to our premium tyre ranges,” argued Mark Griffiths, Safety spokesman for Continental.
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