It's clear that autonomous vehicles are coming to the market place. The only question is how quickly.
Google garnered attention with its prototype of a self-driving car, Ford Motor Co. says it plans to sell driverless cars to the public by 2025, and several other manufacturers, such as Mercedes, BMW and Volvo, are in the test phase. And, in the United States at least, a true sign of the coming technology: The federal government issued regulations on autonomous cars on Sept. 20.
The vehicles are touted as a way for aging drivers and people with disabilities to maintain their independence. They're also predicted to increase traffic safety and cut down on distracted driving. Commercial truck fleets are also testing autonomous vehicles, and cargo container ships are interested in the technology as well.
Earlier this year, the driver of a Tesla was killed in an accident while operating the vehicle on autopilot, and Chinese researchers recently claimed to have hacked into a Tesla and taken control of the brakes, among other things.
Autonomous vehicles will certainly change auto insurance — both personal and commercial — in ways we're not completely sure of yet. But what do consumers really think about self-driving cars? Will the technology be adopted as quickly as we adopted smartphones?
A recent report from the Boston Consulting Group, “Self-Driving Vehicles, Robo-Taxis, and the Urban Mobility Revolution,” found that 58 percent of the 5,500 consumers surveyed across 10 countries would be willing to ride in a fully autonomous vehicle, although 23 percent aren't willing to cede control to the vehicle.
Here's a look at eight reasons that drivers are reluctant to use self-driving cars, according to a survey by the Boston Consulting Group and the World Economic Forum:
(Photo: iStock)
|8. Hackers
In the survey, 23 percent of the respondents were concerned that the car could be hacked.
(Photo: iStock)
|7. Price tag
In the survey, 25 percent said they were unwilling to pay for self-driving functionality.
(Photo: iStock)
|6. Traffic concerns
In the survey, 26 percent of respondents said they wouldn't trust self-driving technology in mixed traffic.
(Photo: iStock)
|5. Unknown technology
More than a quarter of survey respondents — 27 percent — say they don't know enough about the technology yet.
(Photo: iStock)
|4. Loss of a pleasurable experience
Almost 1 in 3 survey respondents — 30 percent — said that driving a motor vehicle is a pleasurable experience that they're reluctant to give up.
(Photo: iStock)
|3. 'Driver' error
Of those surveyed, 43 percent don't want the car to make “mistakes” on the road.
(Photo: iStock)
|2. Need for control
In the survey, 45 percent said they have a need for the driver to be in control of the vehicle at all times.
(Photo: iStock)
|1. Safety concerns
Half of the people surveyed — 50 percent — responded that they wouldn't feel safe in a self-driving car.
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Rosalie Donlon
Rosalie Donlon is the editor in chief of ALM's insurance and tax publications, including NU Property & Casualty magazine and NU PropertyCasualty360.com. You can contact her at [email protected].
