Self-Driving Cars Becoming Less Scary for Consumers

Americans are starting to feel more comfortable with the idea of self-driving vehicles, according to a new study by AAA.

In the annual survey, which is now in its third year, 63% of respondents say they would be afraid to ride in a fully autonomous vehicle. That’s down from more than three-fourths of Americans in the previous two years, which AAA says equates to about 20 million more people trusting the technology.

Some 46% of respondents say sharing the road with a driverless car would make them feel less safe, while 13% would feel safer. This compares with 54% and 10%, respectively, in last year’s survey.

Women (73%) are more likely than men (52%) to be afraid to ride in a self-driving vehicle, and more likely to feel less safe sharing the road with a self-driving car (55% vs. 36%).

Among age groups, Millennials continue to be the most confident about self-driving vehicles, with 49% (down from 73%) reporting that they would be afraid to ride in such a vehicle. Fear also is abating among older people, the percentage of Baby Boomers expressing trepidation about self-driving vehicles fell from 85% last year to 68% in the new study.

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents consider themselves to be better-than-average drivers. Men are especially confident, AAA notes, with four in five rating themselves ahead of the curve.