| Americans still apprehensive of AVs, study says, but education could help |
Americans remain apprehensive about automated vehicles, but according to one study, education and hands-on experience with AVs could spark greater trust.
The study was released Monday by Partners for Automated Vehicle Education, a coalition of industry leaders and driverless-vehicle advocates. Several automakers, technology companies and other industry entities are members of the group, which aims to educate the public on the benefits of automated vehicles.
The group surveyed 1,200 U.S. adults between Feb. 27 and March 5.
According to the group, wary attitudes about AVs aren’t just a result of high-profile AV mishaps — such as the 2018 Uber ATG crash in Tempe, Ariz., that killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg. They also stem from a lack of education about these technologies.
The survey found that 51 percent of Americans know “nothing at all” and 37 percent only know “a little” about the Uber crash. Similarly, 49 percent of Americans know “nothing at all” and 38 percent only know “a little” about crashes involving Tesla’s Autopilot system.
Another roadblock to widespread understanding of driver-assist and self-driving vehicle technologies could be the inconsistent and confusing jargon used to describe them.
Some other highlights from the survey:
■ 48 percent of Americans say they “would never get in a taxi or ride-share vehicle that was being driven autonomously”
■ While 58 percent of Americans think safe AVs will be available in a decade, 20 percent believe AVs will never be safe
■ 34 percent of Americans believe the advantages of AVs outweigh the disadvantages.
Advanced driver-assistance features, such as lane-keeping assist, earned AVs some bonus points. Americans who own vehicles with these features generally were more positive and knowledgeable about autonomous vehicles.
Still, 60 percent of Americans say they would have greater trust in AVs if they “understood better how the technology works.”
“The results of this survey confirm that autonomous vehicles face major perception challenges, and that education and outreach are the keys to improving trust,” Tara Andringa, executive director of Partners for Automated Vehicle Education, said in a statement. “These insights provide both motivation and direction to our effort to confront this educational challenge.”
— Alexa St. John
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