Self-driving cars have an image problem – here's why

Self-driving cars somehow still sound like a prop from a science fiction film. They have been on the market for a long time – but that doesn't change their image problem.

While self-driving cars are still a dream for tech freaks in this country, they are regularly in use in parts of the USA, for example. In the states of California and Texas, for example, autonomous vehicles regularly roll on the road.

Nevertheless, autonomous vehicles have an image problem. Because they often cause accidents, trust in them is not particularly high.

That's why self-driving cars have an image problem

Above all, the safety of self-driving cars is the focus of critics. But this criticism is not just based on feeling, as autonomous vehicles are involved in twice as many accidents per mile driven as conventional cars Forbes writes.

Overall, 93 percent of Americans have concerns about self-driving cars. Security and technology errors are at the top of the list.

For example, 36 percent of respondents said they were worried about security. For 27 percent, the concerns relate to malfunctions in the technology.

But questionable reliability and concerns about possible hacker attacks are also eating away at the image of autonomous vehicles. 61 percent of those surveyed even go so far as to say that they would not trust relatives or children with a self-driving car.

Lobby group wants to polish up image

The lobby group Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (AVIA) has now taken on the tarnished image of the autonomous vehicle industry. She represents companies such as Cruise, Waymo and Zoox – but not Tesla, for example.

The lobby groups are now aware of the problem. It sees “public trust in autonomous vehicles” as essential to their acceptance, as CEO Jeff Farrah said in a statement. The industry must “earn and maintain” this trust.

In order for this to be successful, according to AVIA, the players in the industry would have to become more involved in the community and do more public education work. The lobby group is therefore seeking a “national council of law enforcement officials, first responders and industry representatives” to improve communication between the industry and first responders.

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