Self-Driving Cars Are a Non-Starter for Most Americans

A recent Axios poll surveyed men and women of all ages about the development of self-driving cars, also known as autonomous vehicles.

Across the whole demographic spectrum, only one in four responded that they would be likely to use self-driving cars. More than half were on the complete opposite side, 54 percent said they would not be comfortable using autonomous transportation.

And yes, to round things out, 21 percent were neutral about it. 
You’re probably wondering why companies like Tesla, Waymo, Volvo, and many others are investing billions of dollars into self-driving car technology. If more than half of Americans aren’t willing to use driverless cars, why does it continue to be so targeted?

Autonomous Has Its Place…

There’s more to autonomous technology than driverless cars, although that’s a major part. Domino’s Pizza and Ford have tested self-driving cars for, you guessed it, pizza delivery in Ann Arbor. Using self-driving cars eliminates the need to hire delivery drivers for things as trivial as pizza for dinner.

And it goes beyond that. Tesla’s long-haul fully-electric truck was announced recently. If autonomous technology is implemented in the trucking industry, it stamps out labor issues like logbooks, downtime for rest, and can expedite delivery across the nation. 
 …But Not for Many Personal Vehicles

While there are many uses for autonomous cars, delivery vehicles, couriers, ridesharing, taxi services, and the like, it doesn’t mean the American public will like it or use it. Rest assured that most people who drive either enjoy driving or want to know that they are in control of the car.

Why It Matters

Whether autonomous technology becomes widely accepted or not has implications in the retail automotive industry. If public opinion stays the same as it is now, there will continue to be a market for privately-owned, personally-driven vehicles. It means that personal relationships and superior customer service will be a highly-valued commodity for a long time. Whether autonomous cars become mainstream or not, keep striving toward the best customer service you can offer.

https://www.axios.com/poll-shows-public-doubts-on-self-driving-cars-1519174514-8ec8fe1a-5b64-4a61-832b-e230e6b55e21.html