US Drivers Not Much Interested in Self-Driving Cars

The latest study from researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle of the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute surveyed drivers’ preferences among various levels of vehicle automation, including preferences for interacting with and overall concern about riding in self-driving vehicles. The researchers received 505 responses to the survey.

Here are the main findings from their survey:

• The most frequent preference for vehicle automation was for no self-driving capability, followed by partially self-driving vehicles, with completely self-driving vehicles being the least preferred choice.
• Concern for riding in self-driving vehicles was higher for completely self-driving vehicles than for partially self-driving vehicles.
• Respondents overwhelmingly want to be able to manually control completely self-driving vehicles when desired.
• Preferences were generally divided between touchscreens or voice commands to input route or destination information for completely self-driving vehicles.
• Most respondents prefer to be notified of the need to take control of a partially self-driving vehicle with a combination of sound, vibration, and visual warnings.

The survey’s results match up well with a similar study done by the same team last year. U.S. drivers are not ready yet to give up their time spent creeping along in a miles-long traffic jam with their hands on the wheel, their eyes on the road and their temperatures rising. The day probably will come around though.