Skip to main content

UK science centre gears up to become major driverless car test site following report’s findings

A consortium led by services provider Amey and partners RACE, Oxbotica, Siemens and Westbourne Communications has published the findings of its research into public perceptions of driverless cars. The PAVE (People in Autonomous Vehicles in Urban Environments) project engaged with over 800 people face-to-face through exhibitions, street surveys and workshops with industry experts and 500 feedback forms were collected. The report, which was overseen by Westbourne Communications, indicates that most peop
February 27, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
A consortium led by services provider 6110 Amey and partners RACE, 8307 Oxbotica, 189 Siemens and Westbourne Communications has published the findings of its research into public perceptions of driverless cars.

The PAVE (People in Autonomous Vehicles in Urban Environments) project engaged with over 800 people face-to-face through exhibitions, street surveys and workshops with industry experts and 500 feedback forms were collected.

The report, which was overseen by Westbourne Communications, indicates that most people feel that driverless cars will be the norm at some stage between 2030 and 2050, although the majority of respondents felt there was also not enough information currently available. The majority (63 per cent of respondents) felt positive towards the concept of driverless cars being on our roads, with men being significantly more positive than women. People over 40 were also generally more positive than those under 40.

Other key findings were that most people thought that roads would be safer with driverless car technologies. There was, however, scepticism from many participants that a computer system could ever be fully prepared for the complexity of urban environments and that it was unlikely that cars would ever be 100 per cent driverless. Most people acknowledged the potential economic and environmental benefits of driverless cars, but the most popular benefit of the technology was that it could allow greater freedom for older or disabled people.

The project is now focused on preparing Culham Science Centre as a major test site for driverless cars, following several months of initial trials of the technology there.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Arup’s vision of urban mobility in 2050
    May 6, 2015
    Arup’s vision of the Future of Highways considers a wide range of factors that will impact on mobility towards the middle of the century. In its consideration of the Future of Highways through to 2050, international consultants Arup has taken a broad and pragmatic view of where society is heading and the effects that will have on the transport requirements. In terms of major drivers it not only cites
  • Mayor’s plans for London’s road network step up a gear
    February 10, 2015
    The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has revealed further details of plans to deliver his bold vision for the future of London’s road network, aimed at reducing congestion, creating new public spaces and encouraging more people to walk and cycle. The Mayor unveiled proposals to redesign a number of key road networks in the capital in order to unlock growth and make the capital a more attractive place to live and work.
  • Technology, social media bigger perceived threats than drink-driving, IAM finds
    November 6, 2015
    Motorists are now more worried about the dangers of distraction posed by technology and social media than drink-driving, according to the Institute of Advanced Motorist’s (IAM) first major survey into safety culture. The Safety Culture Index report was launched today by the IAM, and is a study of more than 2,000 UK motorists’ attitudes to driving safety and behaviour on our roads. IAM claims it will form a definitive baseline to track changes over time, providing the opportunity to examine how attitudes
  • Home based real time travel information drives reduction in car use
    January 20, 2012
    David Crawford investigates a new approach to discouraging car use - the 'kitchen as travel centre'. ITS technology working together with UK planning legislation is driving an innovative 'kitchen as travel centre' approach to home design which is boosting public transport as an alternative to car use. The combination is already proving powerful enough to assuage environmentalist opposition to major urban developments. It is also being seen as a way of delivering wider social and community benefits inside an