Australians Embrace Self-Driving Vehicles, But Insist on Human Control as the Final Authority

Residents in San Francisco set fire to a Waymo self-driving taxi last month, reflecting growing anger towards autonomous vehicles in the United States. In order to gauge public sentiment in Australia, a survey was conducted with 562 participants to understand their views on self-driving vehicles. The results showed that nearly half of the respondents saw autonomous vehicles as a desirable trend and travel option for Australians. However, three-quarters of the participants wanted these vehicles to retain the option of being driven by a person. The survey also revealed concerns about legal and financial liability, technology and system failures, performance in bad weather conditions, cyber security, data privacy, and the interaction of automated vehicles with other road users. The findings highlight the need for public acceptance and trust in order for autonomous vehicles to succeed. Strategies such as live demonstrations, dedicated travel lanes, financial incentives, and policies to address legal liabilities can help build trust and foster the adoption of automated vehicles.