Cox Automotive, the company that also owns Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader.com, conducted a survey of 1250 US consumers and found that 84% of respondents would want to have the option for manual control.
Compared with a survey from two years earlier, the number of people who think that exclusively AV traffic would make roads safer has decreased by 18 percentage points.
When asked which level of AV they think is ideal, respondents shifted to Level 2 from Level 4 in the earlier survey. What’s more, 49% would not buy a Level 5 AV with no option for manual control.
The recent high-profile accidents and subsequent negative media cover seem not to affect perception of AV too much, as those unaware of the accidents such as the Uber fatality are only marginally less likely to think AVs would increase overall safety (54% versus 55%).
Nevertheless, ADAS features are generally regarded positively, with 54% of respondents of the opinion that they make people better drivers.
“There is a major opportunity, and a real need, for auto makers and mobility providers to help educate consumers and further guide autonomous vehicles in their development,” said Joe George, Cox Automotive Mobility Solutions Group president.
“Autonomous safety feature adoption will be critical in creating future autonomous technology advocates.”
A report with more detailed findings can be downloaded from Cox’s website.
By Illya Verpraet