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AAA survey shows most people fearful of autonomous vehicles

Posted at 3:54 PM, Mar 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-08 15:10:57-05

AAA conducted a survey asking drivers about being on the road with self-driving cars and being a passenger in one.

Most people said they were fearful of autonomous vehicles.

According to AAA, three out of four Americans are afraid to ride in a self-driving car.

But most are ready to embrace some of the technology - but not give up full control.

Gary Bubar of AAA Michigan said, "People are really hard-pressed to give up the wheel."

Autonomous vehicles are the future of driving, but it seems that most drivers aren't ready to sit in one, nor be on the road with them.

According to a AAA survey, how comfortable you are may also give away your age.

"Millennials tend to be a little more comfortable with that. Generation X'ers are a little less comfortable and Baby boomers, we are okay with it, but we don't really trust it so much."

AAA conducted a study asking drivers if they are afraid to be passengers in an autonomous car and 78% said they would be afraid.

The self-driving cars are meant to prevent human errors, like rear-end crashes or driving off the road.

"With the technology available today that would take care of those two crashes."

But with the safer technology, only 10% surveyed said they would feel safer on the road with other autonomous cars.

With the new technology comes other questions in the event of a crash.

He asked, "Who is responsible? Is it the owner of the vehicle? Is it the passenger of the vehicle? Is it the software developer who wrote the code for the algorithms?"

The survey also showed men were more comfortable with autonomous vehicles than women are.