Are driverless vehicles fleet-viable?
Motorists continue to view the idea of driverless vehicles with scepticism, with 56% of motorists saying they would not purchase one due to concerns with security and reliability.
The survey results come from Churchill Car Insurance, who asked 2,006 UK adults about the new technology, which is seen as the future of the automobile industry by manufacturers such as Audi, Nissan, and Volvo (see video below) and has already been implemented by Google.
The results show concern across the board regarding the technology, with 60% of those surveyed worried about reliability issues and 31% assuming it would result in increased breakdowns. Over half (56%) said they feared the lack of human control, 41% believe the technology will increase fuel consumption, and 32% were concerned about security issues such as hacking.
Steve Barrett, head of Churchill Car Insurance, said: “Driverless cars have a long way to go before they win people’s confidence. Education on issues such as safety standards, including computer ethics is needed, as well as a re-think on existing road rules and amendments to insurance regulation.
“It is still early days however, so a certain amount of scepticism around such a significant development is to be expected. It is also still too early to be able to assess the implications a fully driverless car will have on insurance.’
Do you think driverless vehicles have a place in the fleet industry? Would they make your drivers jobs easier or would the lack of control also concern you? Let us know in the comments below.
