June 14, 2019—Mitchell released its Q2 Mitchell Industry Trends Report this week. One topic covered by Ryan Mandall was how safety rules and public sentiment impede self-driving cars.
One of the biggest barriers to widespread adoption of fully autonomous vehicles is the shifting consumer sentiment about self-driving cars, according to the report.
In 2018, three-quarters of American drivers reported they would be too afraid to ride in a fully autonomous vehicle, up 10 percent from an earlier survey. Additionally, two-thirds reported, “they would actually feel less safe sharing the road with a self-driving vehicle while walking or riding a bicycle."
As the number of semi-autonomous vehicles on the road grows, the number of collisions increases. 2019 Deloitte Global Automotive Consumer Study claimed that “reports of accidents involving AVs have had a significant impact on consumers’ view of the technology.” Some 65 percent of U.S. consumers feel that the news stories of AV accidents have made them more cautious.
In addition to consumer attitudes, proposed rules and regulations of the road (or lack thereof) are another challenge. At this time, there are nearly 75 auto safety standards that automakers must meet, “many of which were written with the assumption that a licensed driver will be in control of the vehicle."