
Would you ride in a self-driving car? Survey says most Americans would not
Would you ride in a self-driving car? Survey says most Americans would not
Show Caption
Hide Caption
GM gives up on loss-making Cruise robotaxi business
General Motors is giving up on its Cruise robotaxi business. The auto giant said Tuesday that it would end development at the loss-making unit, which had once been a top priority. GM said too much time and resources would be required to make Cruise a success.
If you had the chance to take a ride in a self-driving vehicle, would you?
Most Americans would say no, according to a recent survey by AAA.
"Most drivers are interested in advanced technology to enhance safety but still want to maintain a sense of control over their vehicles,' Mark Schieldrop, senior spokesperson for AAA Northeast, said in a written statement. "When it comes to gaining consumer trust in self-driving vehicles, automakers face a long road ahead and as vehicle technology continues to evolve, educating consumers on safety standards is paramount.'
Here's more about what the survey says.
What do Americans think about self-driving cars?
The overwhelming majority still don't trust riding in self-driving cars, the AAA survey stated.
"Just 13% of U.S. drivers indicated they'd feel safe riding in a self-driving or autonomous vehicle (AV)," according to the survey. "That's up from last year, when 9% of drivers said they'd be comfortable. Despite the slight increase, 6 in 10 drivers still report being afraid to get into a vehicle that drives itself."
Where can self-driving vehicles be found?
Robotaxis, which are self-driving vehicles used for taxi services - operate in several major cities, the survey stated, adding that "74% of drivers were aware of robotaxis, but more than half (53%) said they would choose not to ride in one."
More self-driving vehicles: Tesla robotaxis by June? Musk turns to Texas for hands-off regulation
In the United States, some of the cities robotaxis are operating in include San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Austin and Las Vegas. Tesla has talked about launching self-driving cars in Austin in 2025.
There has been testing of self-driving cars in Massachusetts.
Are self-driving cars important to American drivers?
The survey indicates that self-driving cars are not particularly important to today's drivers. Rather, vehicle safety is their primary concern, according to the AAA survey.
The survey noted that "78% of survey respondents listed advancements in safety systems as a top vehicle technology initiative. In contrast, the development of self-driving vehicles is a low priority as only 13% of drivers expressed interest in AV technology."
What do drivers want these days?
Technology is still of interest to drivers these days.
The AAA survey stated that "interest in advanced driver assistance features continues to remain high."
It found that "64% of U.S. drivers would 'definitely' or 'probably' want Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) on their next vehicle, 62% would want Reverse Automatic Emergency Braking, and 59% would want Lane Keeping Assistance."
"Advanced driver assistance technologies should enhance driver safety rather than give the impression that the car is driving itself,' Schieldrop stated in a release. 'As the software and sensors that power these systems continue to improve, drivers must be informed about their limitations as well.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Albo urged to go hard on Trump
Anthony Albanese should play hardball with the US on beef as tariff talks grind on, Nationals leader David Littleproud says. American beef imports have emerged as a key negotiating item in the Albanese government's efforts to secure a tariff carve out. The Trump administration has been pushing for Australia to loosen import rules to include beef from cattle originating in Canada and Mexico but slaughtered in the US. The Prime Minister has confirmed biosecurity officials were reviewing the request but vowed his government would not 'compromise' Australia's strict bio laws. But the prospect of changing laws has sparked unease among cattle farmers worried about keeping bovine diseases well away from the country's shores. With beef imports seemingly key to securing a US tariff exemption, Mr Littleproud on Monday said there needed to be some 'perspective'. 'The United States does need Australia and other countries to import beef to be able to put on their hamburgers,' he told Sky News. 'They don't have the production capacity to be able to produce the type of beef that goes on their hamburgers. 'So this is a tax on themselves that they put on Australian beef.' Despite being subject to the blanket 10 per cent tariffs on foreign imports, Australian beef into the US has risen by 32 per cent this year, according to Meat and Livestock Australia. Meanwhile, the cost of domestically produced beef within the US has been climbing, as cattle farmers struggle with drought. Mr Littleproud said the Nationals were not against importing American beef provided that it was from cattle 'born in the United States and bred all the way through to their slaughter in the United States'. But beef from cattle originating in third countries was a risk because 'we don't have the traceability that we have over the US production system'. 'And that's why Anthony Albanese needed to rule out straight away that he would not open that up to those cattle that were born in Canada, Mexico, or anywhere else in the Americas, because that poses a significant risk unless we can trace those cattle,' Mr Littleproud said. Mr Albanese has been clear in saying he would 'never loosen any rules regarding our biosecurity'. But he has also said that if a deal can be struck 'in a way that protects our biosecurity, of course we don't just say no'. Mr Littleproud acknowledged Mr Albanese's words but said 'when you see reports from departments saying this is what's on the table in terms of negotiations – where there's smoke, there's fire'. In addition to the baseline 10 per cent duties on foreign goods, Australia has also been subjected to 50 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium. Only the UK has been able to secure a partial exemption from the Donald Trump's tariffs. A key UK concession was scrapping its 20 per cent imposts on American beef and raising the import quota to 13,000 metric tonnes. But with many British goods still subject to tariffs, analysts have questioned whether the deal was worth it. The US has trade surpluses with both the UK and Australia. Though, Australia also has a free-trade agreement with the US, meaning goods should be traded mostly uninhibited. The Albanese government has repeatedly criticised Mr Trump's decision to slap tariffs on Australian products as 'economic self-harm' and 'not the act of a friend'.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dow futures dip as stocks eye record highs ahead of U.S.-China talks and inflation reports
Stock futures ticked lower on Sunday night as the S&P 500's recent rally has brought it within 2.4% of its all-time high reached in February, before President Donald Trump's trade war ravaged markets. That comes ahead of a big week, which will see another round of U.S.-China trade talks and key inflation reports. U.S. stock futures pointed down on Sunday night ahead of a big week that will be highlighted by more U.S.-China trade talks and fresh inflation data. A strong jobs report on Friday added more fuel to a rally that has lifted the S&P 500 to within 2.4% of its all-time high reached in February, before President Donald Trump's trade war sank markets. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 44 points, or 0.10%. S&P 500 futures slipped 0.15%, and Nasdaq futures eased 0.23%. Tesla stock may see more downside after Trump said his relationship with CEO Elon Musk is over. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped less than 1 basis point to 4.506%. The dollar fell 0.11% against the euro and 0.15% against the yen. While Wall Street may not react to Trump sending National Guard troops to Los Angeles, his overall immigration crackdown represents a labor-supply shock to the economy that has implications for the dollar. Gold dipped 0.28% to $3,337.20 per ounce. U.S. oil prices climbed 0.08% to $64.63 per barrel, and Brent crude gained 0.05% to $66.50. On Monday, U.S. and Chinese officials will meet in London to begin another round of trade talks after agreeing last month in Geneva to pause their prohibitively high tariffs. Since that de-escalation in the trade war, both sides have accused the other reneging on their deal. For the U.S., a key sticking point has been the availability of rare earths, which are dominated by China and are critical for the auto, tech, and defense sectors. Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, sounded upbeat on Sunday that the London talks could result in a resolution. 'I'm very comfortable that this deal is about to be closed,' he told CBS News. Meanwhile, new inflation data are due as the Federal Reserve remains in wait-and-see mode to assess how much Trump's tariffs are moving the needle on prices. The better-than-expected jobs report on Friday eased fears of a recession, taking pressure off the Fed to cut rates to support the economy. That means that any rate cuts may have to come as a result of cooler inflation. The Labor Department will release its monthly consumer price index on Wednesday and its producer price index on Thursday. Also on Wednesday, the Treasury Department will issue its monthly update on the budget, offering clues on how much debt the federal government is issuing amid concern about bond supply and demand. This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
China consumer prices slump again, deepening deflation worries as demand stays weak
China's consumer prices fell for a fourth consecutive month in May, as Beijing's stimulus measures appear insufficient to boost domestic consumption while trade tensions simmer. The consumer price index fell 0.1% from a year earlier, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics released Monday, compared with the median estimate for a 0.2% decline among analysts polled by Reuters. The CPI slipped into negative territory in February, falling 0.7% from a year ago, and continued to post year-on-year declines of 0.1% in March and April. Separately, deflation in the country's factory-gate or producer prices deepened, falling 3.3% from a year earlier in May, a sharper decline than analysts' expectations for a 3.2% drop. The wholesale prices have remained in deflationary territory since October 2022, according to LSEG data. On May 7, Chinese top financial regulators unleashed a flurry of policy steps aimed at bolstering the country's tariff-hit economy. China's central bank cut the key interest rates by 10 basis points to historic-low levels and lowered the reserve requirement ratio, which determines the amount of cash banks must hold in reserves, by 50 basis points. U.S. President Donald Trump had ratcheted up tariffs on Chinese goods to prohibitive levels of 145%, prompting Beijing to retaliate with duties and other restrictive measures, such as export controls on its critical minerals. On May 12, the economy got a relief after U.S. and China struck a preliminary deal in Geneva, Switzerland that led both sides to drop a majority of tariffs. Washington lowered its levies on Chinese goods to 51.1% while Beijing dropped taxes on American imports to 32.6%, according to think tank Peterson Institute for International Economics, allowing some room for both sides to negotiate a broader deal.