Driving hands free

A recent survey has shown that drivers have become wary of self-driving technology

In the US the results of the AAA annual automated vehicle survey show that while there is still a high level of interest in partially automated vehicle technology, attitudes toward fully self-driving vehicles have become increasingly apprehensive. This year there was a major increase in drivers who are afraid of the technology, rising to 68 percent as compared with 55 percent in 2022. This is a 13 percent jump from last year’s survey and the biggest increase since 2020.

The survey was conducted January 2023, using a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the US household population overall. The panel provides sample coverage of approximately 97 percent of the US household population. A total of 1,140 interviews were completed among US adults, 18 years of age or older, of which 949 qualified for the study. The margin of error for the study overall is 4.3 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

“We were not expecting such a dramatic decline in trust from previous years,” said Greg Brannon, director of automotive research for AAA. “Although with the number of high-profile crashes that have occurred from over-reliance on current vehicle technologies, this isn’t entirely surprising.”

AAA believes automakers must be more diligent in creating an environment that promotes the use of more advanced vehicle technologies in a secure, reliable, and educational manner. This includes the naming of vehicle systems that are available to consumers today.

Even with advancements made in recent years, these findings suggest improvements are still needed to build public trust and knowledge surrounding emerging vehicle technology. There is also a need to dispel confusion around automated vehicles.

AAA’s survey found that nearly one in 10 drivers believe they can buy a vehicle that drives itself while they sleep. Currently, there is no such vehicle available for purchase by the public that would allow someone to fully disengage from the task of driving. This perception could stem from misleading or confusing names of vehicle systems on the market. AAA found that 22 percent of Americans expect driver support systems, with names like Autopilot, ProPILOT, or Pilot Assist, to have the ability to drive the car by itself without any supervision, indicating a gap in consumer understanding. Consumers aren’t entirely opposed to advanced vehicle technology. In fact, six in 10 US drivers would “definitely” or “probably” want these systems in their next car purchase.

Examples of ADAS that is front of mind for those drivers includes blind spot warning, adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking.

Active driving assistance (ADA) is also considered ADAS however, it differs in functionality from other systems. ADA combines braking, accelerating, and steering through a combined use of adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance. ADA is also the only ADAS classified as Level 2 automation as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. A vehicle capable of operating without human involvement where a human driver is not required to control the vehicle at any time, nor required to be present in the vehicle while moving is not available for purchase by consumers and it is classified as Level 5 automation as defined by the SAE. While for some the prospect of autonomous cars is exciting this shows that for many or the majority it is not currently attractive. It is touted as reducing commuter stress but at the moment it appears to be adding to commuter stress. There have been a growing number of accidents involving selfdriving technology.

As with any new technologies there are downsides and associated problems to overcome and one that is rarely spoken about is – will our cognitive functions decrease if we come to rely on self-driving vehicles?

Tesla’s Safety Score Beta monitors the driving habits of Tesla owners and only activates the self-driving feature for drivers who meet their criteria on five factors: number of forward collision warnings, hard breaking, aggressive turning, unsafe following, and forced autopilot engagement. But much of the data lacks transparency, there is no ongoing training, and there is growing discontent among drivers who fail to make the safety cut after paying extra for the self-driving feature. Perhaps the results of the AAA survey are very much in step with what we are able to handle for the time being. Self-driving cars will need more than just the technology engineers can design into them, but human factors and limitations need to be addressed.