Americans Far From Fully Confident About Fully Automated Cars

Consumers, still wary of fully automated vehicles, are showing very slight positive movement in their view of the technology.

After consumer confidence in such vehicles fell two straight years, an annual J.D. Power survey shows a two-point increase in automated vehicle readiness to a still-low 39 on a 100-point scale.

The survey of 3,000 U.S. vehicle owners was conducted in August.

J.D. Power observed that the shift in direction, though, still reflects a general population with lackluster confidence in the technology, which has stirred wariness due to news of accidents that happened while vehicles were driving themselves, among other incidents.

The vast majority of survey respondents, or 83%, said they’d require more reassurance of its safety via statistics before they’d try it, while 86% said they’d require the ability to take control of an automated vehicle if circumstances called for it.

“Repeated and consistent reporting of safety findings over time—with independent oversight—will aid acceptance. Furthermore, addressing persistent concerns regarding insurance costs and data privacy also are paramount,” said Lisa Boor, J.D. Power senior manager of auto benchmarking and mobility development.

Physical safety isn’t consumers' only concern, either. Eighty percent of respondents said they were wary of the potential for hackers to interfere with an automated vehicle, and 64% said they worry their data wouldn’t be secure, so much so that 40% said the automaker’s data-protection policy would be a major consideration in their next vehicle purchase.

“Data security and transparency regarding data use are becoming increasingly important as a foundation for building trust in technology and connected digital solutions. Trust is built over time but can be quickly eroded,” said Bryan Reimer, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Transportation and Logistics in J.D. Power’s press release on the survey findings. “The news media's attention to a recent failure by one automotive manufacturer to safeguard drivers’ privacy is likely provoking anxiety among automotive consumers.”

In a related vehicle-automation finding, the survey found that for safety purposes, 39% of parents of teen drivers want active driver-assistance systems, or ADAS, in the vehicles the kids drive.

DIG DEEPER: Partial Automation Doesn't Add to Safety