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A significant percentage of motorists
have serious concerns about the air
quality where they live.
More than a third of motorists
(34%)
say they are worried about
their local air quality, while
40%
of drivers say they are more
concerned about this issue now
than 12 months ago. In terms of
public policy, there appears to be
strong support (from
66%
of
drivers) for action to cut vehicle
pollution in the areas with the worst
air quality, while
55% of motorists
support the Clean Air Zones set to
be introduced in a number of cities
by the end of the decade
.
Despite this, issues such as the
environmental impact of motoring
and pollution from diesel engines
rank low on the list of drivers’
spontaneous concerns.
The UK’s bid to become a pioneer
in the introduction of driverless
vehicles may flounder unless
more effective action is taken to
communicate the benefits of this
technology to the general public.
Most motorists
(76%)
do not expect
driverless cars to become available
to the public before the end of the
current decade, while only half
(49%)
expect autonomous vehicles
to outnumber conventional models
by 2070 – this is despite ministers’
current plans to turn the UK into a
leader in driverless-car technology.
The Government’s success in this
endeavour will be heavily influenced
by its ability to convince motorists of
the benefits of autonomous vehicles.
At present, only a quarter of drivers
(27%) believe such cars will lead to
safer roads, while a similarly low
percentage (28%) expect driverless
cars to reduce congestion. Almost
half (48%) of respondents say they
are not looking forward to travelling
in a driverless vehicle.
9
Executive summary