For the second time now, the supplier Continental has conducted its mobility study and first results have already been published before the official announcement. The first Continental Mobility Study was published six years ago and showed that experience with technology can change people’s attitudes. Now the second Continental Mobility Study has been published. It shows that people would like to use the technology, but the fear of it is still widespread.
Continental Mobility Study 2018 | Survey and First Results
This new study examines people’s attitudes towards autonomous driving. Industry participants and drivers from four countries were interviewed: Germany, USA, Japan and China. However, there is a special focus on Germany.
The results of the Continental Mobility Study 2018 show that people in Germany are divided on this issue. For example, many drivers would like to use the technology in stressful traffic situations. Traffic jams and driving through construction site sections are mentioned here. Nevertheless, the number of people who are afraid of technology has risen.
In the Continental Mobility Study 2013, 48 percent of survey participants stated that they mistrusted the reliability of the technology. In this new survey, this mistrust has increased to 57 percent. The reason for this is seen to be the fatal accidents in the USA. In 2018, there were fatal accidents involving autonomous vehicles. In Arizona, a woman was run over by a test car and a Tesla driver drove against a highway barrier when the autopilot was activated. However, investigations in this regard have not yet been completed.
International view of the attitude towards autonomous driving
By international comparison, Germany’s level of acceptance has remained the same since the last survey six years ago, at 52 percent. A similar figure was found in the USA: 50 percent. However, the fear of technology was higher there six years ago with a difference of nine percent. The acceptance of technology also increased in the other countries in which the survey was conducted. Acceptance rose from 79 percent to 89 percent in China and from 61 percent to 68 percent in Japan.
About the author:
David Flora is journalist and owner of the digital magazine “Autonomes Fahren & Co”. He is reporting regularly about trends and technologies in the fields Autonomous Driving, HMI, Telematics and Robotics. Link to his site: http://www.autonomes-fahren.de