Despite the rapid development of technologies that are aimed at eliminating the need for a person to control the car while driving, the drivers themselves are not yet ready to completely surrender to the will of technology. Experts of the American Insurance Institute for Road Safety (IIHS) have concluded that so far people prefer a fairly conservative option of assistance from cars and want to keep control of the car in their hands.
After interviewing more than a thousand drivers about their attitude to active safety and driver assistance systems — lane keeping, automatic lane—changing, and monitoring the condition of a person behind the wheel – the IIHS noted that people prefer those assistants that allow them to maintain more control over the car.
The author of the study, Alexandra Muller, noted that people want to stay involved in driving. If the electronics help to hold the lane or to rebuild, then this should only be a support, so as not to completely trust her maneuvers.
In addition, drivers feel safer when they know that the cameras and sensors built into the car monitor their condition. The IIHS stressed that many drivers incorrectly assess the capabilities of electronic assistants, which can potentially lead to dangerous situations on the road. In general, systems that require more or less human control over the car still look more attractive to drivers than completely unmanned vehicles.