Drivers divided on autonomous cars

The UK public remains unconvinced by fully autonomous vehicles.

A new survey by CarGurus found that drivers are interested in driver assist technologies such as emergency breaking and pedestrian detection, but opinion was split by more advanced systems.

While 30% said they were excited by prospect, 35% were neutral and 36% concerned. This divide was echoed in the near 50/50 split in participants who felt the technology was still too new to place their faith in.

The survey also found that 29% agreed that fully self-driving cars will make travel safer, compared to 68% who thought the same thing about already-established automated driver assistance features such as lane assist.

Madison Gross, director of customer insights, said: “This survey makes clear that autonomous vehicles’ tech offerings need to align with how people want to use them. While there is hesitancy around self-driving technology, how consumers envision themselves using the technology would require full autonomy – which is still a goal that the industry is striving toward. Until then, motorists are looking for driving technology that helps them stay in control, rather than technology that takes total control.”

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