Consumers Love Driver Assist Products: CTA

According to a new study by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), consumers love driver assist products.

And they are also excited (3 out of 4) about self-driving cars, contrary to the findings of other research.

The report Self-Driving Vehicles: Consumer Sentiments also found almost all consumers (96 percent) like or love automatic parking-assist capabilities, and 94 percent like or love collision avoidance systems.

Half of all non-users said they want to upgrade to driver assist technologies.

The study also found that 97 percent of consumers are satisfied with their navigation assistance technology, and 94 percent like or love car maintenance alerts.

The CTA said driverless cars will result in 90 percent fewer traffic accidents, 40 percent lower insurance costs and the end of drunk driving accidents.  It will also create “newfound freedom for seniors and people with disabilities,” said Gary Shapiro CEO of the CTA.

“The broad adoption of self-driving vehicles will save tens of thousands of lives each year in the U.S. alone,” he said, adding,  “We don’t have to wait for the benefits of self-driving cars to arrive – driver-assist technology is already saving lives,…We should promote these technologies …”

The CTA study also shows four in five consumers recognize the potential benefits driverless technology can offer. Consumers are most excited about self-driving technology’s ability to:

• Reduce accidents caused by aggressive driving or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (82 percent)
• Provide monetary savings on car insurance (80 percent)
• Prevent up to 90 percent of driving-related accidents and injuries on U.S. roads (79 percent)
• Offer new mobility options to people with disabilities (78 percent)

The CTA found that 62 percent of consumers are interested in replacing their car with a self-driving car and 70 percent of those are very interested in testing a self-driving car.

This contrasts with a University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute study in May that found about two-thirds of drivers were concerned about riding in completely self-driving vehicles. Also a recent Kelley Blue Book poll said 51 percent of drivers want to have full control of their vehicles even if self-driving cars make our roads safer.

“Our study confirms enthusiasm for self-driving cars is certainly growing – consumers want to see for themselves just what these driverless innovations have to offer,” said Brian Markwalter, senior vice president, research and standards, CTA.

The CTA surveyed 2,001 adults in July of this year for the study.

The report is available at no cost for CTA members at CTA.tech/research