Skip to main content

Car owners fear in-car connectivity technology

In-car technology is revolutionising the driving experience, especially when it comes to connectivity options, including mobile device connection to the Internet, navigation systems, emergency response systems, and driving habit monitoring devices. Yet, it is claimed that more than three in four car owners (76 per cent) report that they believe in-car connectivity technologies are too distracting and even dangerous to have. In addition, more than half (55 per cent) argue that automakers have taken technolog
August 2, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
In-car technology is revolutionising the driving experience, especially when it comes to connectivity options, including mobile device connection to the Internet, navigation systems, emergency response systems, and driving habit monitoring devices. Yet, it is claimed that more than three in four car owners (76 per cent) report that they believe in-car connectivity technologies are too distracting and even dangerous to have. In addition, more than half (55 per cent) argue that automakers have taken technology for road use too far.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,634 US adults (ages 18 and over) of whom 1,991 own or lease a car, truck, minivan or SUV, surveyed online between May 7 and May 15, 2012 by Harris Interactive.

Beyond fearing how connectivity technology may impede driver focus, a strong majority of car owners (62 per cent) also worry about how technology may interfere with their privacy, including where and how they drive. Just over two in five US car owners (41 per cent) believe that their insurance rates could increase because of what in-car technology reveals about their driving habits. This is more of a concern among younger drivers between 18 and 35 (46 per cent) and men (46 per cent).

American car owners are, however, conflicted when it comes to technology and their cars. Three in five (61 per cent) view their car as a haven from the outside world and thus don't want to always be connected while driving. Yet, more than half of car owners find that in-car connectivity makes driving more enjoyable (58 per cent) and makes them feel safer (57 per cent) while on the road.  Men in particular enjoy having connectivity in their cars (64%) more than women (53%) and feel safer with technology on-board (61%) compared to women (54%).  

More insights and trends on consumer preferences for over 60 advanced automotive technologies can be found in the 2012 Harris Poll AutoTechcast study. Among an array of topics, the study evaluates distracted driving habits, preferences for mobile applications within the connected car of the future, and the perceptions of time needed to offset premiums of alternative powertrain technologies.

To learn more about the 2012 AutoTechcast study, which is available now, visit: %$Linker: External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal HarrisInteractive.com www.harrisinteractive.com/Products/AutoTECHCASTUS.aspx false http://www.harrisinteractive.com/Products/AutoTECHCASTUS.aspx false false%>.

Related Content

  • November 22, 2018
    Lime launches free-floating car-share service in Seattle
    Bike-share and electric scooter company Lime has launched a ‘free-floating’ car-share service in Seattle and intends to make 1,500 vehicles available in early 2019. Bloomberg says the company has deployed 50 Lime-branded vehicles and intends to increase this number to 500 by the end of the year. Users can unlock a LimePod vehicle, a customised two-door Fiat 500, via the company’s app for $1 and are charged 40 cents per minute while driving. Toby Sun, Lime’s chief executive officer, says the company is a
  • April 30, 2012
    ITF leads the global debate on connectivity
    Political decision-makers, industry leaders, transport experts, and top thinkers from around the world, will debate how to create more seamless transport solutions for passengers and freight at the 2012 Summit of the International Transport Forum. The summit on “Seamless Transport: Making Connections” will take place May 2-4 in Leipzig, Germany, and aims to drive the international debate on better connectivity. The event will be held under the Presidency of Japan. The International Transport Forum at the OE
  • February 14, 2019
    Ride-hailing and taxi drivers could face tougher criminal checks in England
    Drivers who ply their trade on apps such as Uber could be under greater scrutiny as part of proposals being put forward by the UK government. The potential risk to passengers from the explosion of ride-hailing apps, as private-hire drivers are perceived to receive less thorough vetting – for example, to flag up past convictions – has long been argued. Incidents such as the murders of passengers by a Didi driver in China heightened such concerns - although critics point out that a US Uber driver who ad
  • November 25, 2014
    ATRI seeks input on truck platooning
    Working in collaboration with two FHWA-sponsored project teams, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is conducting research to explore trucking industry perspectives on the use of automated truck platooning, also known as Driver Assistive Truck Platooning. This concept is based on a system that controls inter-vehicle spacing based on information from forward-looking radars and direct vehicle-to-vehicle communications. Braking and other operational data is constantly exchanged between th