Experts addressed these topics at a May 8, Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)/State Farm® meeting. They represented government, the auto and tech industries, law enforcement, safety, and insurance.

The leaders agreed to use a common language when talking about AV features. Also, focus on driver responsibilities and attitudes is key to preparing motorists to safely share roads with AVs. Moving forward the group will:

• Develop consistent public safety messages about all forms of vehicle automation.

• Maintain focus on current traffic safety challenges. These include impaired driving, speeding, failure to buckle up, distracted driving and sharing the road with pedestrians.

• Create uniform policies and training for responding to and investigating AV crashes. This will be key for police, first responders and court officials.

“While AVs will change our lives in many ways, they raise important highway safety issues,” said Ryan Gammelgard, Counsel at State Farm. “This report is a key piece to helping make sure we all work together to ensure the technology works as advertised.”

For National Teen Driver Safety Week 2018, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and State Farm collaborated on a survey aimed at learning what young people have to say about the advances in vehicle technology happening all around them. The survey asked the youth about existing advanced vehicle technology as well as fully autonomous vehicles.

Key Learnings

1. Teens appear to have an overall skepticism about fully autonomous vehicles.
   • When asked to rate their interest in driving cars that are fully autonomous, 55.6 percent rated this only a one (out of a possible five).
   • When asked whether they would feel safe riding in a car that is fully autonomous, 56.3 percent rated this just a one out of five. 
   • When asked about the future likelihood they will own or drive a car that is fully autonomous, 61.4 percent rated this a one out of five.
2. Nearly 20 percent (18.8 percent) believe their generation will be less likely to own a car than people are today.
3. The survey indicated there might be a need for more education about vehicle technologies. Those with greater understanding showed higher overall acceptance of new technology.

Survey Details

The teens were asked to rate different types of vehicle automation based on the following questions:

• How would you rate your understanding of this technology?
• How interested are you in driving cars with this technology?
• How safe do you (or would you) feel in a car with this technology?
• Now or in the future, how likely is it that you will own or drive a car with this technology?

In their own words...

For those who felt their generation would be less likely to own or drive a car with these technologies, we asked them to explain their reasons. Here is a sampling of their verbatim responses.

More likely (38.7%)

• Drivers will not want to relinquish control of their vehicle. I believe they will be receptive to assistance, but not a total loss of control.
• Regardless of price or mass transportation, everyone feels safer when somewhat in control of where they are driven.

As likely (42.4%)

• I think it would be the same. I know teens will want their own car and adults with professional jobs would not want to use these transportations. I personally would like my own car rather than use the transportations listed above.
• There are multiple advances in technology, especially transportation, which will eliminate the need for a car. I will greatly look into my personal need for a car with or without features. Future generations will not have the experience of a car that is not fully automatic so eventually the majority will have fully automatic cars.

Less likely (18.8%)

• I honestly just don't feel safe driving cars with no steering wheel, I understand that these cars are tested, but there is always chance for error.
• More companies such as Uber are taking over and are probably going to be more accepted as the normal thing to do.
• The cars of today will be a thing of the past, like a landline telephone.
• Cars with these modifications will be more expensive and public transportation would be most efficient.

The ratings...

Here are their ratings for each type of vehicle automation (one being least, five being greatest):

Fully automated vehicle with no steering wheel or brake pedal

Adaptive Cruise Control

Lane Keep Assistance

Automatic Emergency Braking

Methodology

SADD conducted an online poll during September and October 2018. Using their online membership portal, they asked students to answer questions about their thoughts and attitudes regarding automated vehicle technology. 764 high school students responded, representing SADD chapters across the country. The average age of respondent was 16.39 years.

Because human error is the cause of the large majority of car crashes, autonomous vehicles (AVs) have the potential to greatly improve safety. In the near future, however, there will continue to be crashes involving AVs as they share the road with vehicles driven by humans.

A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association, Preparing for Automated Vehicles: Traffic Safety Issues for States, finds that most AVs for the foreseeable future will share driving responsibility with humans. Drivers will still exert significant control and will be able to change their vehicle’s level of automation, just as drivers today can activate or deactivate cruise control.

Automated vehicles will bring new traffic safety issues to the states. This report suggests how law enforcement and state highway offices should prepare for them.

“Many people are unconvinced of the safety benefits of AVs and unwilling to share the road or to ride in them,” said Ryan Gammelgard, Counsel at State Farm®. “However, research suggests that public enthusiasm and support will grow as people learn more about AVs and are able to experience them first-hand, and if there is objective proof that the technology operates better than humans.”

The report was authored by Dr. Jim Hedlund, a former senior official with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and funded by State Farm.

The full report is available here.