Australian motorists are becoming increasingly sceptical about autonomous vehicle technology, with new research showing concerns about self-driving cars have risen significantly over the past three years.
According to the latest EV Sentiments Survey conducted by finance comparison website Savvy, 63 per cent of Australians now have concerns about autonomous driving technology. The findings suggest public confidence in self-driving vehicles is declining despite ongoing advancements in vehicle automation and safety systems.
The survey found that 34 per cent of respondents do not trust autonomous vehicle technology and are uncomfortable with the idea of self-driving cars. A further 28 per cent said they had concerns but remained open to considering the technology in the future.
In contrast, only 17 per cent of Australians said they were mostly or entirely comfortable with autonomous driving technology, down from 29 per cent in Savvy’s 2023 survey.
Savvy managing director Bill Tsouvalas said the results highlight a growing reluctance among consumers to hand over driving responsibilities to automated systems.
The findings come at a time when governments, regulators and vehicle manufacturers around the world are continuing to invest heavily in the development of autonomous vehicle technologies. While fully autonomous vehicles are not yet commercially available in Australia, advanced driver assistance systems such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance and automated emergency braking are becoming standard features on many new vehicles.
Industry experts have long argued that autonomous vehicles could deliver significant road safety benefits by reducing human error, which remains the leading cause of road crashes. The technology is also expected to improve mobility options for elderly and disabled Australians while increasing transport efficiency.
However, concerns about safety, reliability, cybersecurity, legal liability and regulatory oversight continue to influence public attitudes.
The survey suggests that while the technology continues to progress, convincing Australians to trust autonomous vehicles may prove to be one of the industry’s greatest challenges as it moves towards a more automated future.
Click here for the full survey.