The number of Americans who are frightened to ride in an autonomous vehicle has decreased from 78 percent in early 2017 to 63 percent, according to a AAA annual survey.
The survey also found that 46 percent of Americans would feel less safe with autonomous vehicles on the road, 37 percent were indifferent, 13 percent would feel safer, and 4 percent were unsure.
“Americans are starting to feel more comfortable with the idea of self-driving vehicles,” Greg Brannon, AAA automotive engineering and industry relations director, said. “Compared to just a year ago, AAA found that 20 million more U.S. drivers would trust a self-driving vehicle to take them for a ride.”
Age and gender play a role in how comfortable a person is with the technology.
Millennials were the most accepting group with 49 percent unafraid to ride in an autonomous vehicle, compared to 32 percent of Baby Boomers who were claimed that they were not afraid.
While only 34 percent of Millennials felt less safe with autonomous vehicles on the road, 47 percent of Gen Xers and 54 percent of Baby Boomers do.
Slightly more than half of men are afraid to be in an autonomous car compared to 73 percent of women. Additionally, more than half of woman are afraid to share the road with autonomous vehicles while only 36 percent of men felt afraid.