Fear of robot rides rises following high-profile roadway deaths


  • TECH
  • Tuesday, 22 May 2018

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 27, 2017 an Uber self-driving car drives down 5th Street on March 28, 2017 in San Francisco, California. The race to perfect robot cars continues despite fears kindled by the death of a woman hit by a self-driving Uber vehicle while pushing a bicycle across an Arizona street. Uber put a temporary halt to its self-driving car program in the US after the fatal accident this month near Phoenix, where several other companies including Google-owned Waymo are testing such technology. / AFP PHOTO / Getty Images North America / JUSTIN SULLIVAN / With AFP Story by Ian TIMBERLAKE: US-lifestyle-internet-automobile-Uber,foucs

Consumer trust in self-driving cars has plummeted following high-profile roadway fatalities, with almost three-quarters of Americans now saying they are too afraid to ride in an autonomous vehicle, according to a new survey. 

The survey by the American Automobile Association shows faith in robot rides has been shaken by two March incidents: A pedestrian in Arizona struck and killed by an Uber self-driving car and a fatality involving a Tesla Model X operating in semi-autonomous “Autopilot” mode. The fear factor reported by 73% of those polled last month was up 10 points from late 2017 and nearly erased gains from the 78% afraid of automated cars early last year. 

Subscribe or renew your subscriptions to win prizes worth up to RM68,000!

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Tech News

ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode is coming to web browsers
Elon Musk blasts Australia's planned ban on social media for children
Bitcoin's wild ride toward $100,000
OpenAI considers taking on Google with browser, the Information reports
One tech tip: How to get started with Bluesky
FCC proposes fining Chinese video doorbell manufacturer after security concerns raised
Snap seeks to dismiss New Mexico lawsuit over child safety
Crypto industry jockeys for seats at Trump's promised council
Reddit back up after latest outage impacts thousands of users
Massachusetts student's punishment for AI use can stand, US judge rules

Others Also Read