Drivers uneasy about sharing roads with autonomous cars
Nearly two thirds of drivers are concerned about sharing the road with autonomous cars, according to new research.
The Automated Vehicles Act was passed into law in May last year, with trials expected to start taking place next year.
However, 64% of motorists questioned in November’s Startline Used Car Tracker said they would be cautious around self-driving cars, with 28% believing the technology should not be tested on public highways, 27% suggesting they will make driving less safe, and 11% expecting them to behave erratically.
However, 41% are curious about self-driving vehicles, 39% plan to drive normally around them, 21% expecting get used to them quickly and 15% believing they will make roads safer.
Public trials
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “There has been news of autonomous vehicles in the press for some years that has prompted a great deal of public interest but the situation will get real with tests starting on our roads next year.
“Findings show there is a high degree of nervousness around their arrival, which is very much understandable; suddenly finding yourself sharing a road with a vehicle that has no driver will be a new and unnerving experience for most motorists. Responding to that situation by driving more cautiously is a very human response.
“However, there is also much curiosity and notably, around four in 10 plan to drive around autonomous vehicles in exactly the same way as they would any other, and one in five believe they will get used to them quickly. A significant minority have an open mind about this kind of technology.”
