Can A Driver Trust Autonomous Technology?

We all have a phobia. Some people are afraid of spiders, others of the dark or some even of the number 13. Driving, however, is an activity that many of us undertake, for which we seem to develop an inflated sense of confidence that can be a risk when it comes to our safety. The figures in terms of collisions however, tell us that we may not be as confident as we think. In 2011, a survey by the car insurance industry estimated that an average driver will be involved in three to four collisions over the course of their driving life. With the number of distractions drivers are exposed to four years later, that figure may be somewhat inaccurate.

Mobileye, the company who has developed autonomous driving technology to car manufacturers such as Tesla, Audi, BWM and many others, has revealed that according to their research, one in ten Americans have been hit or almost hit by a vehicle.

While the debate continues regarding the safety of autonomous vehicle technology, the question arises, are those on the road ready to share it with vehicles without drivers? The answer has not yet been determined.  In a study conducted by YouGov, which polled over 1,000 adults, sixteen percent of respondents said they had been hit or almost hit by a vehicle in the last six months while they were walking. Twenty-one percent of cyclists who had biked in the last month revealed that they were nearly hit or were hit by a driver in the last six months. Eighteen percent of the survey’s participants revealed that then were in the public vehicle or service (bus, taxi or Uber) that was involved in a collision.

YouGov Research Tackles Autonomous Technology

The YouGov research also suggested that millennials were particularly at risk when it came to being hit or almost hit by a vehicle. One in six participants between the ages of 18 and 34 admitted to being hit or almost hit by a vehicle while walking in the past six months.

The solution, according to Mobileye is to have driverless vehicles. The technology developed by Mobileye would help vehicles avoid collisions with other vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and other objects. According to the Mobileye and YouGov’s survey, thirty-one percent of the respondents suggested that they would feel safer knowing that driverless vehicles were on the road. Over fifty percent of cyclists supported the notion of sharing the roads with driverless cars.

The findings of Mobileye’s research suggests that drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are interested in new technology if it creates a safer driving environment. As Canada’s national driving school, Young Drivers of Canada understands that technology will continue to evolve in the vehicle. The choice will be how much technology drivers are willing to embrace and whether they will trust the technology enough to let it control driving while they are are in the vehicle!