A study by the insurance-related IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) examined the sensitivities of the population when it comes to partial autonomy.
Drivers want partial automation with the appropriate safety measures. That’s according to a new survey by IIHS and thus contradicts the manufacturer’s idea that as much technology as possible should be integrated. The IIHS criticizes that very few studies deal with the actual wishes of consumers.
As part of the IIHS study, more than 1,000 drivers were asked who preferred three systems in particular: track centering, autonomous lane change and driver monitoring.
The track centering in the “hands-on” version is also preferred over the “hands-free”. You have to keep your hands on the steering wheel. Hands-free lane centering would make driving more stressful. Some respondents said they use the technology to get on with other things, despite knowing that it can severely compromise security.
When it comes to autonomous lane changing, preference is given to the system in which everyone lane change physically triggered. Furthermore, driver monitoring is generally welcomed. It is irrelevant whether the system allows hands-free operation or not.
Drivers stated that they felt safer when the system checked whether they were using it correctly. The study reveals that communicating the security justification for surveillance can help allay consumers’ privacy concerns or other objections.
According to the study, purchasing behavior is also such that people would rather not buy the hands-free version. If price is not an issue, more than half would also buy a car with an autonomous lane change.