RAC Report on Motoring 2016

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5.0 The car of the future
5.2 Trust in technology
The Report also highlights that there
is still a considerable amount of
work to do to convince the public that
the benefits of driverless vehicles
outweigh the perceived risks.
There is a high and growing level of
agreement (62% against 52% in
2015) that driverless cars will
improve mobility for older and
disabled people. But less than three
in 10 (27%) think the introduction of
driverless vehicles will make our
roads safer (no change on last year).
Experts regard improved safety as
one of the primary benefits of
driverless cars because driver error
would become a thing of the past.
However, the reputation of driverless
cars has been severely dented by a
recent fatal accident involving a
driverless car in the US31.
Generally, there is a great deal of
uncertainty and suspicion regarding
new technologies in cars that affect
drivers and their behaviour. More
than two-thirds (69%) say they are
opposed to any new technology that
has the potential to distract drivers,
although this is down significantly
from 75% last year. Just over half
(51%) of motorists feel that many of
the new technologies associated
with autonomous vehicles will lead
to complacency among drivers and
therefore more accidents, but
again this proportion has declined
(from 59%) in the last 12 months.
And almost half of motorists (49%)
say they are not looking forward to
travelling in a driverless car, while
only a quarter (25%) say they are.
Motorists over the age of 65 are
least likely to be enthusiastic about
this prospect. Just 14% of this
group say they are looking forward
to using a driverless car, compared
with 33% of those aged between 25
and 44. This is perhaps a reflection
of younger generations being more
accustomed to the fast pace of
technological change.
31.
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RAC Report on Motoring 2016