Study Says American Drivers Fear Autonomous Technology More Than Ever

woman relaxing while looking at phone behind the wheel as car drives itself

Self-Driving Cars Could Prevent Auto Accident Injuries and Collisions, but Study Says Most Americans do Not Agree

Amidst news of the fatal pedestrian accident involving a self-driving vehicle, Americans across the country are becoming more wary of autonomous technology as a way of preventing serious car accidents. While researchers emphasize that self-driving vehicles ultimately will be able to reduce the rate of motor vehicle crashes and reduce the number of injuries after a car accident because they will eliminate the possibility of human error behind the wheel and the risks associated with aggressive driving, distracted driving, drunk driving, and other forms of negligence, consumers are less convinced. Even more concerning are the lack of laws and regulations surrounding driverless car accident lawsuits.

According to a recent article in USA Today, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety conducted a new survey concerning American consumers and self-driving cars. The survey was a follow-up to a similar investigation about a year ago. In late 2017, AAA determined that about 63% of Americans were “wary of riding in a full autonomous (self-driving) car.” Following the recent deadly crash, AAA conducted a similar survey and found that almost 75% of Americans now say they are scared about riding in self-driving cars. As the article points out, “it’s not only passengers who now fear self-driving vehicles.” About 63% of the people surveyed reported that “they would feel less safe as pedestrians or while riding a bicycle.” That figure represents an almost 10% increase from the same time last year.

Perhaps surprisingly, the AAA survey showed that fear of self-driving cars and consequential auto accident injuries has risen most noticeably among millennials or those aged 20 to 37. In the AAA survey conducted last year, less than half of all millennials surveyed indicated that they were scared to ride in a self-driving car or to be a pedestrian or cyclist sharing the road with autonomous vehicles. Now, however, 64% of millennials say they fear self-driving cars. In total, only about 20% of all individuals surveyed indicated that they actually trust fully autonomous technology in the prevention of fatal injuries after a car accident or collision.

Will self-driving cars become a regular fixture on the roads? And if so, will these vehicles reduce the rate of serious and deadly auto accidents and injuries? The answers to those questions appear to be more uncertain following the deadly self-driving car accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured after a car accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Consult an auto accident lawyer about filing a car accident lawsuit on your behalf.

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