Skip to main content

Study finds drivers open to automated driving

A new study by automotive company Continental finds a clear majority of motorists would welcome automated driving. The Continental Mobility Study 2013 indicates that 79 per cent of drivers in China, 77 per cent in Japan, 53 per cent in Germany, and 50 per cent in the US realise the benefit of automated driving. When asked about their individual intentions for using the technology, drivers specified they would primarily like to be driven through freeway roadworks and congestion and long freeway stretches.
January 21, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
A new study by automotive company 260 Continental finds a clear majority of motorists would welcome automated driving.

The Continental Mobility Study 2013 indicates that 79 per cent of drivers in China, 77 per cent in Japan, 53 per cent in Germany, and 50 per cent in the US realise the benefit of automated driving. When asked about their individual intentions for using the technology, drivers specified they would primarily like to be driven through freeway roadworks and congestion and long freeway stretches. They would also like to have self-parking cars.

Increasing production of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) has reduced the cost of the requisite technology to such an extent that these systems can now be offered in all vehicle classes.  The study shows that convenience-oriented advanced driver assistance systems already enjoy high usage rates; 90 per cent of motorists in Germany and China, 84 per cent in the US and 82 per cent in Japan appreciate their usefulness.

The majority of motorists surveyed in Germany and the US are familiar with automated driving. However, in Japan, slightly less than one in three motorists has heard of automated driving. After an explanation of the technology, more than half of all drivers viewed the option of having the vehicle take over the driving as a useful future development. At the same time, the results of the study show that automated driving is not yet as familiar to people as advanced driver assistance systems. A large number of the motorists surveyed worldwide are not convinced that automated driving will function reliably.

In addition, automated driving is an unsettling possibility for more than half of these motorists. Concerns are particularly marked in the US.

The results of the study do, however, also reveal the greater the acceptance of advanced driver assistance systems, the greater the acceptance of automated driving.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Self-driving cars ‘a US$87 billion opportunity in 2030’
    May 22, 2014
    The latest research from Lux Research indicates that automakers and technology developers are closer than ever to bringing self-driving cars to market, with basic Level 2 autonomous behaviour already coming to market, in the form of relatively modest self-driving features like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and collision avoidance braking. With these initial steps, automakers are already on the road to some level of autonomy, but costs remain high in many cases. It is the higher levels
  • ‘Just 6%’ of transport companies can tackle cyberattacks, says Irdeto
    June 21, 2019
    Transport companies are under concerted attack from hackers, according to security specialist Irdeto – and most don’t know how to respond. New research from the group says that 77% of organisations in transport and automotive have experienced an Internet of Things (IoT)-focused cyberattack in the past year – but only 6% “have what they need to combat cyberattacks”. The survey of 225 companies in China, Germany, Japan, UK and US found that the incursions had an impact on 91% of those which experience
  • Integrate systems to reduce roadside infrastructure
    January 27, 2012
    David Crawford reviews promising current developments. Instrumentation of the road infrastructure has grown to become one of the most dynamic sectors of the ITS industry. Drivers for its deployment include global concerns over the commercial and environmental pressures of traffic congestion, the importance of keeping drivers informed throughout their journeys, and the need to reduce accident rates and promote the safety of all road users, for example by enforcing traffic safety rules.
  • Mobility itself is moving says cubic
    June 9, 2015
    Cubic’s Chris Bax looks at the challenges and benefits of implementing transport as a service. Imagine paying for travel in exactly the same way you buy your phone service. For example, you would pay a set amount in exchange for a monthly travel package covering up to 100km of free taxi journeys in your home city (including a guaranteed 15 minute pickup) and public transport usage within a 1,500km radius of your home. Not only would this option be cheaper than owning and maintaining your own car, you would