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Why Are People Becoming Less Comfortable With Autonomous Cars

Aug. 19, 2018 10:30 AM ET by Jared Rosenholtz / 12 Comments Recent crashes may have something to do with it. If traditional media outlets are to be believed, autonomous cars are right around the corner. Soon we will all be riding around in pods that drive themselves. Since we get to test the latest and greatest in self-driving technology first hand, we are far more bullish on the timetable for autonomous cars, and it appears that consumers feel the same way. Consumer confidence in autonomous cars has been slipping, despite a push from automakers. Automotive News reports that nearly half of all consumers would not buy a fully autonomous car, which is up from around 30% two years ago. This figure comes from 1,250 consumers that were questioned in a Cox Automotive consumer attitude study. In the same study, the number of people who believe that roads would be safer if all vehicles were fully autonomous dropped by 18% in just two years. In fact, 85% of respondents believe that a car should always have a steering wheel with the ability to take manual control. So why are consumers so afraid of autonomous cars? Well, all of the recent crashes may have something to do with it. Uber The recent fatal accident involving a self-driving Volvo XC90 from Uber did a lot to damage consumer confidence. This year we also witnessed an autonomous Ford Mustang attempt the Goodwood Hillclimb and crash into a bale of hay on the way up. Consumers are becoming more aware of the capabilities of autonomous cars, as evidenced by a 24% increase in awareness compared to two years ago. Despite that awareness, people are more apprehensive than ever, which just proves what we've been saying all along - we are still a long way from mainstream self-driving cars. Volvo

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Volvo XC90 Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top