Most Brits still do not trust driverless cars, study finds

Most people would be uncomfortable travelling at 70mph in a driverless car, according to a new study released on Wednesday morning.

The research, from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, followed the awarding of a contract by the government last week to TRL, to test driverless lorries on major UK roads by the end of next year.

According to the findings, younger people tend to be more accepting of the technology, although they were still a minority with 45% of 25-36 year olds saying they would be comfortable in a 70mph driverless car, compared to just 13% for 65-74 year olds and 8% for the over 75s.

Women tended to be more cautious about the technology, with 72% saying they would be uncomfortable compared to 60% for men.

The survey also found that 50% of those asked think that humans are better drivers than computers, despite the fact that 90% of UK road accidents are the result of driver error.

It also showed that there is a reluctance from the public to allow people who are sight-impaired to be the sole occupant of a driverless car, with just 23% saying this should be allowed.

There was also very little acceptance for people who are intoxicated being responsible for a driverless car, with just 12% saying this would be acceptable.

“The benefits of driverless technology are huge,” said the institution’s head of transport Philippa Oldham.

“Not only could the technology help save hundreds of lives, but there are estimates that the overall UK economic benefit could be as much as £51bn a year due to fewer accidents, improved productivity and increased trade.”

Oldham said the government and manufacturers had “big ambitions” for the future of driverless cars, but there was still a long way to go in terms of public approval.

“This study shows that the majority of people would be uncomfortable being a passenger in a driverless car travelling at speed and that older people and women are particularly wary.

“Driverless technology has been touted as improving accessibility for all, but the survey showed strong reluctance for a sight-impaired person to be the sole occupant of a driverless car.”

Given the huge benefits to this technology, Oldham said it was “vital” for government and manufacturers to develop a public campaign with more demonstrations and user trials to build awareness and trust in the technology.

“In addition to the driverless lorries trials, another idea could be for driverless technology demonstrators to be rolled out on city roads, allowing people the see and get first-hand experience of these vehicles in action.

“These cars could be a particularly eye-catching colour, and their presence on busy city roads could help make people more aware of, accustomed to and accepting of the technology.”

For the survey, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers commissioned ICM Unlimited in July to ask six questions to 2,053 members of the public regarding driverless cars.

The institution is a membership organisation based in the UK, representing 115,000 mechanical engineer members in 140 countries.