Drivers turning into extra afraid of automated autos, AAA says

People have gotten extra afraid of automated autos, and lots of misunderstand the capabilities of driver-assist expertise, in accordance with a survey launched Thursday.

The share of respondents who described themselves as afraid to trip in automated autos jumped to 68 p.c in AAA’s annual automated automobile survey this yr, from 55 p.c within the earlier yr. The survey canvassed roughly 1,000 adults.

“We weren’t anticipating such a dramatic decline in belief from earlier years,” mentioned Greg Brannon, director of automotive analysis for AAA. Nonetheless, “with the variety of high-profile crashes which have occurred from overreliance on present automobile applied sciences, this is not completely shocking.”

The outcomes come as automakers equip autos with extra superior driver-assistance options which have grown from automated emergency braking to classy cruise management techniques that permit for some hands-free and foot-free driving.

The survey additionally illustrated some misunderstanding of driver-assist expertise. One in 10 drivers mentioned they thought they might buy autos that may drive themselves whereas the driving force is asleep. No such automobile is in the marketplace, and the survey launch advised that response may very well be associated to “deceptive or complicated names of auto techniques” resembling Tesla’s Autopilot, Volvo’s Pilot Help and Nissan’s ProPilot Help. AAA mentioned 22 p.c of the respondents believed names like these describe options that permit the automobile to drive itself with none human supervision.

Nonetheless, most individuals who responded to the survey would “undoubtedly” or “in all probability” need driver-assist expertise resembling automated braking and blind-spot warning of their subsequent automobile regardless of their worry and confusion.

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— Molly Boigon