A new survey conducted by vehicle history check specialist HPI reveals that 22% of road users in the United Kingdom would trust a driverless car and feel comfortable traveling in one, a figure that outpaces a similar U.S. poll conducted earlier this year, where only 9% of American drivers expressed trust in autonomous vehicles (AVs).
The survey, which involved over 2,000 adults, highlights notable differences in attitudes toward autonomous transport based on factors like gender, age, and location. Men were found to be more trusting than women, with 28% of male respondents willing to use a driverless car, compared to just 16% of females. Trust in AVs also appears to decline with age: 33% of 18-26-year-olds expressed comfort with the technology, but that number dropped to 17% among those aged 55-64, and just 12% among those over 65.
Geographical differences were also evident, with London residents showing the highest level of acceptance at 22%, while only 9% of those in Wales, a more rural area, indicated they would trust autonomous vehicles.
Despite these relatively favorable figures, a significant portion of respondents remains skeptical about the safety benefits of driverless cars. Only 15% believe that autonomous vehicles will make roads safer, and 22% think they won’t have any significant impact on road safety.
The survey results also underline the limited exposure to automation in the U.K., where only 42% of respondents report driving vehicles equipped with semi-autonomous features such as lane assist, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. Nevertheless, the passing of the Automated Vehicles Act earlier this year is expected to lay the groundwork for the introduction of self-driving vehicles in the U.K. by 2026.
HPI’s Matt Freeman commented, “The AV Act aims to improve road safety by reducing human error, which is estimated to contribute to 88% of road collisions. Driverless cars could save lives, reduce traffic, and lessen the reliance on people to transport freight.” Freeman added that public attitudes toward autonomous vehicles appear to be evolving, with growing acceptance of the technology.
