Autonomous cars make other drivers feel less safe
New research suggests many drivers are nervous about sharing the road with driverless vehiclesAn American study into motorists' attitudes to emerging autonomous technology has discovered that many are uncomfortable with sharing the road with driverless cars.
According to Harvard University and the American Automobile Association (AAA), 53 per cent of drivers questioned said they felt less safe driving on roads with self-driving trucks, while 47 per cent expressed concerns about sharing roads with driverless cars.
The United States has become one of the friendliest places in the world for developing autonomous vehicles, with 38 out of the 50 states operating self-driving experiments conducted on public roads.
Despite the huge number of pilot programs in progress, only 36 per cent of survey respondents were in opposition to them due to safety concerns.
Out of those questioned, 62 per cent worried who would be responsible for crashes with a self-driving vehicle, while a further 50 per cent questioned how to behave around a driverless car on the road.
Others questioned (62 per cent) said they would feel safer if driverless vehicles were clearly marked.
Finally, 60 per cent said they wanted dedicated lanes for self-driving vehicles.
Following the study, the US AAA said that it was considering proposing regulation to make autonomous vehicles more identifiable.
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