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Study: Most drivers not big on self-driving cars

Posted at 8:50 AM, May 24, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-24 14:47:36-04

Stories about self-driving vehicles continue to make international headlines, but how do people really feel about them?

Turns out, being shuttled around by a completely autonomous vehicle isn't something we're thrilled about--at least not yet,according to a new study.

Brandon Schoettle and Michael Sivak from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute recently surveyed 618 motorists to assess their feelings on self-driving cars.

The report found almost half of drivers prefer to have full control while in their vehicle. About 39 percent of motorists surveyed said they want a partially self driving car with occasional driver control.

And here's a revealing stat: just under 16 percent of people would go for a completely self driving vehicle, according to the study.

Nearly all motorists in the survey (95 percent) also said if they were in a self-driving vehicle, they'd like to have a steering wheel and pedals available--just in case. 

This study, U of M says, was a follow up to a report they conducted last year, and the findings are very similar even as chatter on autonomous vehicles has increased.

Read more about the study here.