US survey shows that most drivers are still skeptical on full autonomous driving safety

It’s common to see new cars these days to be equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and while it is as essential as seat belts and airbags, it can be a bit overwhelming for some drivers according to a recent survey.

In a new survey conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), it reveals that most drivers would prefer partially automated safety features that require them to keep their hands on the wheel as opposed to one with full control from the vehicle itself.

Granted, this survey was conducted in America and involved more than 1,000 drivers from the States. It focused on three common features: lane centring, automated lane changing, and driver monitoring.

According to Alexandra Mueller, the survey’s primary designer, the main aim of this study is to examine actual consumer opinions about partial driving automation as carmakers often assume that drivers want as much tech as they can in their vehicles.

As exciting as it is for a car to feature automation in changing lanes, for instance, the technology is still incapable to handle many relatively common situations. Many of them still require a driver to take over just in case.

The IIHS survey showed that while there is a strong interest in these technologies among consumers, most drivers would prefer partially automated features that require them to stay engaged in driving. In short, a “hands-on” version of lane centring and automatic lane changing which requires drivers to always keep their hands on the wheel is more preferred over a “hands-free” version.

On top of that, many drivers also agreed that hands-free lane centring would make driving more stressful than the hands-on version. Meanwhile, most of those who prefer the hands-free approach believed that it would make driving safer and more comfortable.

Ironically, some of them also expressed an intent to misuse the technology as the hands-free feature would give them more opportunities to do other things while driving.

Also read: PDRM investigating Singaporean TikTok couple for driving completely hands-free with Tesla Autopilot

In the case of automated lane changing, there are two versions which are divided into driver-initiated versions and vehicle-initiated versions. In the driver-initiated version, the driver must physically trigger each lane change while in the vehicle-initiated version, the vehicle software determines when to initiate lane changes on its own without the driver’s input.

Similarly, drivers in the survey prefer a driver-initiated version than having the vehicle figure out on its own when changing lanes.

In terms of driver monitoring, the drivers who were the most comfortable with the system tended to say they would feel safer. Mueller says, “That suggests that communicating the safety rationale for monitoring may help to ease consumers’ concerns about privacy or other objections.”

Also read: IIHS: Drivers are more likely to speed using ACC

The survey also revealed that more than half the drivers would likely purchase a vehicle with some form of automated lane changing if the price was not an issue. Yet, most would prefer the hands-on version to a hands-free one.

At the end of the day, despite automakers trying to fit as many advanced technologies into their latest models through automation or self-driving, most people would still rather take over the wheel than let their cars do the driving.