Survey Says Self Driving Cars Should Reduce Traffic Fatalities by At Least 75 Percent to Stay on the Roads
A new study published in Risk Analysis examined the question “How safe is safe enough for self-driving vehicles (SDVs)?”
Researchers employed an expressed-preference approach – a method that has not previously been employed in this setting – to determine the socially acceptable risk of SDVs. The results showed that the public will not accept this new technology unless it is shown to be safer, approximately four to five times as safe as human-driven vehicles (HDVs). Despite the conveniences SDVs would bring to individuals, such as the ability to watch a movie, read a book, sleep or surf the internet, the public will be much less likely to accept, or even tolerate, SDVs if they have the same risk level as human driving. As suggested by previous studies, an individual increases his or her demand for safety when that safety is entrusted to an external factor, such as an automated vehicle.