Motorists give red light to driverless cars
The race to make driverless cars a feature on UK roads continues – yet a new survey has shown that as many as 70% of motorists would not get behind the wheel of a self-driving vehicle, reports Fleet World.
The survey by specialist insurance broker Adrian Flux showed that just 5% of drivers would drive the new technology. Another 24% of respondents are undecided.Fears over the security of driverless cars are preventing some from testing out the technology, with 5% saying they worry about the implications of hacking. Another 4.4% are put off by fears the vehicles will be too expensive. And some – 2.9% – believe that driverless vehicles will never catch on.
Meanwhile, 45% of drivers don't like the idea of not being in control and more than a third (almost 36%) said they enjoy driving too much to hand over the reins.
Gerry Bucke, general manager at Flux, commented: "There appears little doubt that driverless cars will become a reality in one form or another, but motorists are clearly struggling with the idea of giving up the freedom of the open road and simple pleasure of driving great cars.
"Many people have a real passion for cars and driving, and if vehicles are all essentially the same, moving around the country at fixed speeds with no input from the driver, one of life's pleasures will be taken away.
The biggest stumbling block to this new technology, however good it may be, could well be that people simply don't want it."
