Motorists still worried about self-driving vehicles, survey reveals

As self-driving vehicles shift from sci-fi fantasy to a product available to consumers, most Americans are wary of them being on the road. That’s according to a survey conducted by AAA and the Technology and Public Purpose Project at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

With more pilot programs and testing of self-driving vehicles on public roadways expected in the near future, the average motorist will be more likely to find themselves driving next to one. According to a recent AAA and Harvard survey, the general public is not too comfortable with that idea.

When asked about small, self-driving delivery vehicles, nearly 70% perceive them to be less safe or were unsure of how safe they are. That number is the same for self-driving vehicles on a highway or freeway and self-driving vehicles on local or neighborhood roads.

However, people are more worried about self-driving trucks.

More than three-quarters of survey respondents find them less safe or were not sure about safety capabilities. Only 11% considered fully autonomous trucks to be safer.

What will it take to put people’s mind at ease when it comes to sharing the road with self-driving vehicles? More than 60% said clear markings that a vehicle is fully autonomous is a good start, with another 60% suggesting designated lanes for fully autonomous vehicles only. Less than a third indicated they would like to see restrictions on times of day and/or days of the week when self-driving vehicles can use the roads.

According to AAA, 38 states and the District of Columbia allow self-driving vehicles on public roadways for testing. However, only 35% of survey respondents are aware of these programs. People are nearly evenly split on those programs, with about a third in favor, another third oppose and the final third unsure.

Of those opposed to public testing programs, more than three-quarters are concerned about the safety of sharing the roads with self-driving vehicles.

More than 60% have concerns about who will be liable in a crash.

Based on survey results, AAA suggests that regulators make sure self-driving vehicles are easily identifiable. Furthermore, those vehicles must be consistent in their actions while sharing the road with humans. LL

More stories on self-driving trucks:

• A call for transparency: Full disclosure of automation safety performance should be mandatory, OOIDA says.
• Self-driving trucks will impact trucking jobs, report says.
• ‘Self-driving’ term needs to be removed from AV lingo.