Autonomous vehicles
Public Opinion
Even if a manufacturer designs a level 5 autonomous car, it is futile if the product is not used, or in other words, if the public rejects the idea of handing over all driving to computers. Trying to sell the idea of a fully autonomous network could prove to be the biggest challenge companies will face. To investigate how people would feel about being driven by an autonomous vehicle, I conducted a survey amongst 115 teachers at Dulwich College. To ascertain a true representation of people’s opinions, I questioned their actions and thoughts when being driven in a taxi, as the same principles apply to the passenger, whether they are being driven by a computer or by someone else. This tactic should limit the unconscious bias people may harbour based on their previous thoughts on autonomous cars. The objectives of the survey were to find out:
• If humans would be comfortable being driven by a computer • If humans would trust autonomy • How much of a threat self-driving cars are to human safety
Out of the 115 teachers, 78% drive a car at least once a week, whilst the 68% take a taxi either once a month or once a year.
When asked if they would compare their route to the taxi driver’s route, 75 of the respondents agreed that they would compare the different routes. Although this may not seem significant, the fact that 65% demonstrated an awareness or curiosity in a change of route suggests that people will compare things to their own opinions or experiences. People would possibly feel more comfortable if the driver took a route of familiarity, so would this feeling impact people’s thoughts on self -driving cars, as the vehicle would decide the route, regardless of the passenger’s opinions or knowledge of the area?
The second option reads: ‘I pay attention for short amounts of time (e.g. when the brakes are suddenly applied/ a car has sounded the horn...)
92% of the respondents stated that they would pay attention to the taxi driver’s [driving] skills, which could suggest that as a passenger, people are weary or acknowledge the fact that they are giving control
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