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

  • Putting a stop to intersection indecision
    March 9, 2015
    David Crawford takes a look at innovations to reduce crashes at rural intersections. Intersection crashes continue to represent a worryingly large share of deaths and serious injuries across US highway networks. Statistics from the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration show that an average of 21% of road traffic accident deaths occur at crossings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) calculates that intersection crashes account for 48% of all injury-related i
  • Euro NCAP to drive adoption of AEB systems for safer cars in Europe
    June 14, 2012
    Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) has published the results of its survey on the availability of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems in Europe and reveals that its vehicle safety rating assessment programme will include AEB technologies in its star rating from 2014. Real world performance data suggests AEB systems can reduce accidents by up to 27 per cent. Although the introduction of these active safety technologies is reducing road deaths and injuries, the availability of AEB in Europe is fa
  • Bluetooth and Wi-Fi offer new options for travel time measurements
    November 20, 2013
    New trials show Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals can be reliably used for measuring travel times and at a lower cost than an ANPR system, but which is the better proposition depends on many factors. Measuring travel times has traditionally relied automatic number plate (or licence plate) recognition (ANPR/ALPR) cameras capturing the progress of vehicles travelling along a pre-defined route. Such systems also have the benefit of being able to count passing traffic and have become a vital tool in dealing with c
  • EastLink demonstrates hands-free driving through Melbourne freeway
    April 6, 2018
    EastLink has demonstrated hands-free driving capabilities on a section of its Melbourne freeway to help provide Victorian drivers with a better understanding of the technology. For the test, a Honda CR-V VTi-LX carried out automated speed plus steering control, using the adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist functions in an area of Eastlink closed to traffic. It was televised on 7 News Melbourne at 6.00pm on the 6 April 2018. The vehicle, according to Doug Spencer-Roy, EastLink’s corporate affair