A new survey from Esurance, an Allstate company, finds that even as consumer interest grow and road tests are under way, many Americans, especially those who are older, are uncertain about whether they would used driverless vehicles. SOURCE: Esurance July 2018.When it comes to acceptance of self-driving vehicles, Americans consumers are interested but also hesitant about the autonomous vehicle (AV) revolution on the horizon, according to a new survey by Esurance, an Allstate company.
In its 2018 survey called “Can Americans Overcome Their Fear of Self-Driving Cars,” Esurance found that only 17 percent of 1,000 drivers could imagine giving up driving. That’s despite the idea of being able to use their time more productively while being auto-chauffeured.
And while 83 percent of overall consumers in the survey expressed low or no interest in giving up control behind the wheel, it was parents and older adults who skewed the outcome the most, the survey found.
Parents of children under the age of 19 were 60 percent more open to giving up driving control than non-parents to gain the benefits of multi-tasking while being driven around, according to a press release.
“The idea of getting a break from one of the many daily chores so many parents face, including driving, was likely too big a draw to be concerned with the potential downsides,” the release says.
The survey found that it boils down to two primary factors: a general desire to maintain control and fear of the unknown.
To read more details on this survey, click here.
