Autonomous vehicles and consumer readiness

Posted in Firm News, Motor Vehicle Accidents on March 3, 2019

Residents in Washington State who are concerned about the ongoing problems associated with vehicle accidents may well be interested to learn about ways to improve safety on the road. Over the past few years, more and more companies are working to develop autonomous vehicles. There are many assertions made about how these vehicles may reduce or even eliminate traffic accidents and deaths.

As the technological advances continue, it is important to track how ready consumers really are for these vehicles to hit the streets. As reported by Deloitte, their 2019 Global Automation Consumer Study has found that there remains significant concerns among consumers when it comes to their willingness to adopt fully self-driving cars. In 2017, nearly three-fourths of people surveyed indicated they were not ready to trust the safety of these vehicles. A year ago, trust seemed to improve dramatically as only 47 percent of people cited such hesitation. Today, that number is relatively unchanged at 50 percent.

Media Post adds that drivers are not so willing to trust traditional vehicle manufacturers to develop these cars. In 2018, 47 percent of those surveyed by Deloitte said they would feel good about these companies producing autonomous vehicles but in 2019, that dropped to 39 percent.

Another area of concern for consumers appears to be legislation and regulatory oversight. More than half of drivers surveyed in the United States said they want to see a substantial increase in the government’s role when it comes to overseeing autonomous vehicles and the technologies that make them possible. Even among people willing to trust these vehicles, there remains a reluctance to pay more for them than for non-autonomous vehicles.