Between Time Savings And The Question Of Liability

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

Autonomous driving is already influencing the expectations of future users. In addition to saving time, older people or people with disabilities in particular hope for better mobility.

The start of autonomous driving will be a while in coming, but expectations are already at a high level. According to a representative survey by the management consultancy BearingPoint among more than 1000 Germans, almost 62 percent expect greater benefits from time savings that are created through improved route guidance in networked cars. “New performance features of cars, which are only possible through digitization, are coming to the fore. This also means an enormous rethink in industry and the state. Manufacturers who have so far been able to set themselves apart through special driving fun have to look for new ways of differentiating themselves in the automated vehicle world in order to retain customers,”says Alexander Schmid, partner at BearingPoint and author of the survey.

Safety put to the test

In addition, 61 percent of the respondents - regardless of age, gender or state - expect greater benefits from fewer traffic jams and better traffic flow. 60 percent hope for a lower risk of accidents with greater driving comfort. And not just for your own driving style. Around 70 percent see an improvement in mobility for older people or people with disabilities in autonomous driving.

However, the doubts are almost as great. For 60 percent, the legal issues and the safety of the technology are on the test bench. This is followed by questions about infrastructure costsas well as the ethical aspect of when the car should completely take over control. 53 percent are concerned with the question of data protection, with those under 30 being more open to the topic.

Driving pleasure plays a subordinate role

"The state needs as part of the Digital Agenda in cooperation with automakers, make telcos, software and hardware providers and consumer advocates a sustainable digital ecosystem and thus the scope of the facilities they provide," said Schmid on.

Among the end of June, surveyed 16- to For 69-year-olds, however, the question of driving enjoyment plays only a subordinate role. Only 48 percent question the driver's autonomy. In contrast, drivers in Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Saxony are more concerned about incapacitation behind the wheel.