Self-Driving Vehicles: Are Humans Better Drivers Than Automated Technology?

Aug 06, 2014 01:20 PM EDT | Matt Mercuro

Most believe that humans are better drivers than automated technology, despite the fact that more than half of Americans have positive feelings towards self-driving vehicles, according to University of Michigan researchers.

People agree in the United Kingdom and in Australia as well, though residents there aren't as worried about safety, privacy, and security issues linked with autonomous vehicles.

Brandon Schoettle and Michael Sivak from the U-M Transportation Research Institute surveyed more than 1,500 American, Australian and British residents about limited and completely self-driving vehicles.

They determined that 57 percent of respondents from all three countries have positive opinions about automated technology in vehicles, compared to approximately 14 percent with negative views.

Most of the people surveyed have high expectations about its benefits, according to the release issued by the Institute.

More than 70 percent of those surveyed feel that self-driving vehicles will eventually result in better fuel economy, fewer crashes, and reduced severity of crashes.

"Motorists and the general public in all three countries surveyed, while expressing high levels of concern about riding in vehicles equipped with this technology, feel positive about self-driving vehicles, have optimistic expectations of the benefits and generally desire self-driving vehicle technology when it becomes available," Schoettle said, according to the release.

Nearly three-fourths of Americans and two-thirds of Australians and British are "moderately or very concerned" about self-driving vehicle performance compared to when vehicles are being driven by humans.  

More than three-fourths of those surveyed are "very or moderately concerned" about the safety consequences of equipment or system failure. They are also worried about fully autonomous vehicles getting confused when unexpected situations occur, according to the release.

Additionally, around two-thirds are "very or moderately concerned" about system performance in poor weather, interacting with other vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists, system and vehicle security, data privacy.

Two-thirds of those questioned said they are at least slightly, if not very, interested in owning and/or driving autonomous vehicles.

Most are not willing to pay extra for the technology, though a quarter of Americans said they would pay at least $2,000 extra. A quarter of Australians and British would pay at least $2,350 and $1,710, respectively, according to the release. 

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