81% Accept the Benefits, but Only 26% are Excited for Self-Driving Cars
Slowly but surely, consumers are warming up to the idea of driverless cars zooming around our streets.
According to a new survey from Ontario’s Kanetix.ca, 26% of Canadians said they couldn’t wait for the day when driverless cars would be reality, up slightly from last year when 25 per cent said the same. Not surprisingly, those younger are more excited about driverless cars.
A majority remain neutral, however: 56 per cent say it would depend on the technology and how well it works, compared to 52 per cent last year.
The key is that fewer people are against autonomous driving: 18% this year, down from 23%.
“Technology is continually improving and innovating, and we’ve already seen auto manufacturers incorporate self-driving safety aspects in some existing vehicles, such as automatic emergency braking or sensors that temporarily control steering to avoid collisions,” said Andrew Lo, chief operating officer and tech expert at Kanetix.ca. “It’s still a jump for most people to make in terms of going completely driverless but Canadians are interested in these improved safety features and, as a result, seem willing to slowly adopt more automated functions.”
Canadians openly acknowledge the potential benefits of an autonomous world. Eighty-one per cent agree it will eliminate the threat of distracted driving, 73 per cent say it will reduce accidents and auto-related fatalities, and 68 per cent agree it will increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
Launched in 1999, Kanetix was Canada’s first online insurance marketplace and today provides over a million quotes per year to consumers looking for insurance.
