According to a new study conducted by researchers for Continental Tyres, as part of its Vision Zero initiative, a commitment to reduce traffic fatalities, drivers are not convinced that automated and driverless vehicles will deliver on the promised benefits.
The research was conducted on 2,000 motorists and when asked what benefits a driverless vehicle would deliver, the second most popular response was “none” as more than a third of respondents could not identify any advantages that come with that technology.
When addressing their concerns, the top six issues were negative with some highlighting the fear of conceding control. Motorists are three times more likely to be scared of autonomous vehicles due to loss of personal control than to realise its benefits.
Majority are of the opinion that driverless cars make people lazy and reliant on technology and there are too many risk that comes with the technology; like being hacked for example.
Continental Tyres safety expert, Mark Griffiths said, “Drivers are more concerned with the current real world issues like congestion, cost of motoring and environmental impact and technological solutions being developed now aren’t exactly solutions for the current issues.
He continued by saying, “It is the job of manufacturers like Continental, to inform drivers the immediate and near future gains from the exciting technological developments. In the past the benefits from some advances have been self-evident, such as tyre pressure monitoring systems or anti-lock brakes.
When asked what issues should be prioritised by automotive and technology companies, half of road users agreed it should be improved road safety. This was followed by almost 50% of people saying more economical vehicles using existing and new fuels and 47% saying less traffic on the roads.
