Driverless Cars Are Coming

Almost two-thirds (65%) of motorists want to retain the right to drive even though driverless cars are coming, two new pieces of research findings released last week have shown.

IAM RoadSmart – formerly the Institute of Advanced Motorists – conducted an independent survey of 1,000 British motorists and a separate poll among its 92,000 members.

• Driverless cars are coming
• Humans and machines together deliver safety
• 65 per cent of motorists believe the driver should remain in control
• Will driving only be for pleasure in the future?
• Are driver-designated roads the future for motorists?

Those 65 per cent of motorists believe that a human being should always be in control of the vehicle with 53 per cent saying that the focus should be on making drivers safer – not just cars.

Members of IAM RoadSmart welcome the hi-tech advances which are improving vehicle safety, but want to maintain their control of a car – even though autonomous technology will be able to do it for them.

Among the findings from the Opinium survey of motorists:

• 65% thought that a human being should always be in charge of a vehicle
• 20% thought that driverless cars were a ‘good idea’
• 34% thought that driverless cars were a ‘bad idea’
• 22% thought that driverless cars would ‘be the norm on UK roads’
• 52% thought that driverless cars would never be the norm on UK roads
• 16% thought that driverless cars are an ‘exciting prospect’

When told that 95% of accidents were down to ‘human error’ and that there was ‘a strong case for taking driver control out of the equation’:

• 24% agreed with the proposition
• 15% disagreed with the proposition
• 60% said ‘wait and see’

When asked whether they would ‘consider using a driverless car’:

• 32% said yes they would
• 38% said no they would not
• 29% said that they were unsure

In the poll conducted among IAM RoadSmart members:

• 87% thought that once driverless cars are readily available driving should NOT be banned by law
• 92% would welcome automated systems that stopped tailgating

Source: IAM Roadsmart