Do You Trust Self-Driving Cars?
There is no doubt autonomous cars and trucks are coming but when that’ll be is still unknown. Auto manufactures and ride-sharing companies like Uber say it can be as soon as 2020. However, a recent survey revealed that no matter what auto makers say most people won’t believe it until they see it. Currently, tech companies, auto makers and ride-sharing companies are all in an arms race to make the first fully autonomous car for mass production.
Most People are Don’t Trust Ride-Sharing Companies to Build Cars
Data analysis company Inrix published a global study on autonomous cars. They surveyed 5,045 drivers around the world. Inrix wanted to find out what people thought of companies like Uber and Lyft building self-driving cars. Results showed that only 4% of people trust ride-sharing companies to manufacture autonomous cars. However, 30% said they would trust a self-driving car that was built by an established auto maker. And 20% said they would trust an autonomous vehicle built by a tech giant like Google or Apple. The bottom line is that people are more willing to trust a company they have known for a long time than a new one. Ride-sharing companies have only been around for a few years. It is normal to feel uncertain about making a major investment, such a car, from a taxi service that uses employee’s cars as their fleet.
The Race for Autonomous
Why is there a hurry to create self-driving cars? According to Automotive News, autonomous vehicles could be a $77 billion dollar market by 2035. Everyone wants to be the first in line for a piece of that pie. But there is one important factor that needs to be addressed. Will people buy self-driving cars? The survey results stated that 71% of people believe that these vehicles will be just as safe, or safer, than cars of today. But, only 25% said they would actually buy an autonomous car.
American Drivers Don’t Trust Self-Driving Cars, Yet
According to the Drive, a different survey was conducted on this subject. This study surveyed 22,000 people in 17 different countries. In America, a whopping 74% said they do not trust self-driving cars. They don’t believe autonomous vehicles will be safe. But, 68% did say that their opinions could be swayed if the technology is proven to be safe. On the other hand, 54% said they would only ride in a self-driving car if it was built by a brand they knew. These figures are not surprising. It can be unnerving trusting a machine with your life.
Confidence in building autonomous vehicles is high, but whether or not they’ll be ready by 2020 is something we will have to wait. Even if they build them there will still be a minefield of obstacles to tackle. Insurance rules, new laws to deal with these new machines, and getting used to seeing people in cars with no driver. The future is uncertain but that’s what makes it exciting to wait for.