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Nearly 80% of People Won't Snooze in an AV

Some 79% of people said they would not be able to fall asleep in a self-driving car—indicating a continued emotional discomfort with the technology, according to a new survey from The Zebra.

October 17, 2019
Nearly 80% of People Won't Snooze in an AV

New research shows that potential autonomous vehicle riders haven't gained a comfort level with the technology.

Photo via Google.

2 min to read


Some 79% of people said they would not be able to fall asleep in a self-driving car—indicating a continued emotional discomfort with the technology, according to a new survey from The Zebra.

The findings show that due to safety concerns American consumers do not fully trust autonomous vehicle technology without supervision. 

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More than half of those surveyed (54%) said they would continue to monitor the road while riding in a self-driving car. Others were a bit more confident and said they would use a one-hour ride to take their eyes off the road — with 13% saying they would utilize the time to use their cell phone. Another 11% would read a book and 10% would take a nap.

Additional activities that ranked for those willing to take their eyes off the road while cruising in an AV include watching a movie or television (5%), catching up on work (4%), and eating (3%).

The Zebra findings align with other recent research that indicates people are not quite ready to embrace self-driving technology. For example, AAA found that 71% of adults have fears about self-driving cars.

Moreover, although experts agree that human error accounts for anywhere from 75% to 94% of motor vehicle accidents, in a Pew Research survey 42% of respondents cited lack of control as their biggest concern about driverless vehicles. Another 30% cited safety as a top concern.

The Zebra used Google Consumer Surveys to survey 1,000 people in August.

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