According to a new survey, autonomously driving cars without a human being behind the wheel are met with skepticism or even rejection by large parts of the population.
Almost a third of the German population rejects autonomous driving in principle – regardless of whether the risk of accidents would decrease or increase. This was determined by the Yougov survey institute on behalf of the HUK Coburg insurance company, which published the results today.
In January and February, the demoscopes surveyed the 4,042 participants for a mobility study published annually by the insurance company. Even assuming that the risk of accidents does not increase, only a minority of 47 percent would welcome autonomous driving.
Rejection in the older generation
Women are therefore considerably more skeptical than men: 55 percent of men would have no concerns if the risk of accidents remained the same, but only 39 percent of women. Likewise, the rejection in the older generation over 55 is much greater than in younger cohorts under 55.
The survey also revealed that drivers of electric cars are obviously far more open to autonomous driving than the conventionally motorized majority: only 17 percent of e-car drivers fundamentally rejected fully automatic vehicles.
There were also striking regional differences: in Schleswig-Holstein, 40 percent are fundamentally opposed to computer-controlled vehicles, while in Saarland and Bavaria the proportion of opponents was only 24 and 28 percent, respectively.