How likely might Austin-area residents be to use a self-driving vehicle, which could be on Texas roadways within several years? In a recent TTI study, 50 percent of those interviewed said yes to the idea, and 50 percent said no, each group offering a variety of reasons for their position. Those who said they would be likely to use an automated vehicle viewed them as safer than cars driven by people. They also trusted the technology and expected the cars to relieve the stress of driving. Those who answered no said they didn’t trust the technology and hesitated due to concerns over safety and affordability.
While it will be several years before self-driving cars become more common, experts say that the technology is advancing quickly, pointing to those elements of automation already available in vehicles today, including self-parking, adaptive cruise control, and automated braking. Findings from this research are drawn from results of an online survey and in-person interviews with Austin area residents in May and June 2015.
Read the full report, Consumer Acceptance and Travel Behavior Impacts of Automated Vehicles, by Senior Research Scientist, Dr. Johanna Zmud and her team of experts.