It wasn't long ago that we were all fascinated with the idea of self-driving vehicles. A car that drove itself meant that we had more free time on our hands, safer roads, and fewer insurance claims. While this was an ideal concept, high-profile incidents involving Uber and Tesla vehicles have caused the public to reconsider their stance on autonomous cars. Now, less than half an Americans (43 percent) are interested in self-driving cars. In 2017, this interest was up at 53 percent.
Safety features like automatic braking is certainly an interesting idea, one that many Americans are interested in. However, when autonomous vehicles have been out on the road, we've only heard of crashes and malfunctioning. This has caused safety concerns to raise - to the point where people are no longer interested in these vehicles at all.
Earlier in the year, a self-driving Uber test vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian walking across the street outside of a crosswalk. The company has since suspended its test program following the accident. Tesla vehicles have also been involved in self-driving incidents. In one accident, the vehicle was in œAutopilot mode, accelerated and failed to register a concrete highway barrier before crashing. The driver, who died from the incident, also didn't have his hands on the steering wheel in the six seconds before impact.
As awareness around the technology of these vehicles increases, there are dramatic shifts in consumer sentiment. People now understand it's not a simple case of a click and go vehicle. There are complexities involved in creating a self-driving car, and people are reconsidering their comfort level when it comes to handing over control.
Millennials are the most accepting with 61 percent of whom wouldn't rule out buying a self-driving vehicle. On the flip side, 71 percent of Baby Boomers said they've never buy one. Comparing geographic regions, residents of urban areas were most likely to say they would possibly buy a self-driving vehicle.
Autonomous vehicles on the market might be right around the corner. Would you buy one? For the auto insurance to protect you while you're cruising the roads, visit Jack Stone Insurance Agency, serving Brentwood, Antioch, and surrounding metropolitan areas of California.
