UK motorists warming to the idea of self-driving cars

With the world of autonomous vehicles getting closer, it’s probably time to find out what consumers think about them. According to Bobatoo, they are warming to the idea.

Insurance website Bobatoo asked consumers the same set of questions to consumers 18 months apart, with the results demonstrating a slight increase in the acceptance of the technology. Back in 2015, the team found out that only 26% of respondents were excited about driverless cars, however this figure has now increased to 34%, while the number of people who were concerned has dropped from 35% to 28%.

“When the idea of self-driving cars was first mooted by the likes of Google, the main concern amongst the public was about safety,” said a Bobatoo spokesperson. “The results of our new survey show that, whilst there is still a long way to go, it would seem that the general public are not only warming to the idea of self-driving cars, they are actively looking forward to them.”

The improvement in the acceptance of the technology could be down to greater awareness from the consumer, though there is still a substantial amount of work to be done. The success of any new technology is entirely dependent on its penetration in the mass market, and currently only 37% of respondents would prefer a self-driving car instead of a human-operated one.

Autonomous vehicles are coming whether the consumer wants it or not, which in itself seems rather odd, but too much money has been spent in the development already. There are also too many savings in the world of enterprise to ignore, consider Fedex or your Sainsbury’s weekly delivery, the desire is present and therefore the promise will be fulfilled.

That said, forgetting about the consumer could be a disastrous turn.

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