The supposed benefits of driverless cars are numerous, and there’s a strong sense that these benefits are so overwhelming that people will naturally welcome the transition to an autonomous world.  Alas, new research from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) suggests the picture may not be quite that straightforward.

The survey revealed that 60% of motorists would always prefer to drive themselves, with a third saying they would never want driverless cars on the roads.

The results highlight the continued wariness many members of the public have towards driverless technology, with nearly 2/3 of respondents saying they would feel uncomfortable about traveling in a driverless car, which is the same number as when the Institution surveyed people back in 2017.

What’s more, nearly a third of respondents expressed a desire for autonomous vehicles to be limited to 30 mph, which is a higher number than the previous survey in 2017.  The findings suggest that, if anything, the public are more skeptical of the technology now than they were a few years ago.

Lacking confidence

“Consumer confidence is essential for autonomous technology to succeed, but if anything, that confidence has waned in the last two years. During that time, there have been very few controlled trials on our roads to allow people to experience the vehicles at first hand. As engineers, we remain convinced of the need to explore the potential advantages the technology offers,” IMechE say.  “The Government has plans for trials of self-driving cars on roads in Edinburgh and London by 2021, but we would like to see more taking place in other locations in the UK.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, figures differ depending on the respondent, with men seemingly more comfortable with the technology than women (although even then, more men are uncomfortable than they are comfortable).  Similarly, younger people are more comfortable than older people.

The Institution recommend a number of things that can help to improve the trust people have in the technology, including:

• Increasing the number of trials of autonomous technology on public roads so that people can see the vehicles in action.
• An acceleration of the development of a regulatory framework by the government.
• A continuing collection of data by the industry to showcase the value in terms of safety, fuel efficiency and cost.

It’s a timely reminder that there remains some way to go before the technology is likely to be a widespread presence on our roads.