Report: 73 Percent of Americans Are ‘Scared’ to Use Driverless Cars

The Associated Press
The Associated Press

73 percent of American drivers, up 10 percent from last year, are “scared” to use driverless vehicles, according to a survey from the American Automobile Association.

“The millennial demographic has been the most affected, according to the survey of more than 1,000 drivers. From that age group, 64 percent said they’re too afraid to ride in an autonomous vehicle, up from 49 percent — making it the biggest increase of any age group surveyed,” Mashable reported, adding, “This data follows similar trends showing increased fear about self-driving vehicles following the deadly March crashes in the Bay Area and Arizona.”

In March, a woman was killed after a self-driving car collided with her, prompting Uber to end self-driving car tests in California.

Last year, a self-driving bus also crashed within just two hours of its launch in Las Vegas, while in 2016, a cybersecurity expert claimed it was possible to confuse, and potentially crash a self-driving vehicle with just $43 and a laser pointer.

Since the launch of self-driving vehicle tests, experts have debated their complexities, such as who would be responsible following a fatal accident, and whether a self-driving car would have to decide who lives and who dies.

However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk defended self-driving vehicles this month, declaring, “It’s super messed up that a Tesla crash resulting in a broken ankle is front page news and the (approximately) 40,000 people who died in US auto accidents alone in past year get almost no coverage.”

“What’s actually amazing about this accident is that a Model S hit a fire truck at 60mph and the driver only broke an ankle,” he expressed.

Charlie Nash is a reporter for Breitbart Tech. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington, or like his page at Facebook.

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