Great Distrust Towards Autonomous Vehicles in Austria

More than half of the respondents rate autonomous vehicles as at least as safe as those driven by humans. However, the majority remains unclear whether these vehicles can act correctly in critical situations, as revealed by a survey published on Tuesday by Allianz Insurance. This is not only true for Austria but also for other European countries.

Austrians Distrust Autonomous Vehicles Due to Lack of Knowledge

However, this may also be related to the currently limited knowledge about the new technology. Only about a third of the respondents (37 percent) stated that they are familiar with the topic. While a third of these individuals have a positive attitude towards this technology, another third reject it. Comfort obviously plays a significant role in autonomous driving in Austria: 44 percent see it as an opportunity to focus on other things during the drive. Less stress is an argument for 40 percent. The topic of safety is less of a priority at 29 percent.

For 54 percent of the 1,200 respondents, autonomous driving is at least as safe as vehicles driven by humans. However, 74 percent are concerned about how autonomous systems make decisions in critical situations. And 72 percent are worried that these vehicles may not be safe enough in unforeseen situations. Meanwhile, 71 percent believe that the technology is still too new and not mature. Therefore, 84 percent want to be able to take control of the vehicle at any time.

Psychological Factors Influence Distrust of Autonomous Vehicles

"The survey clearly shows that there is great uncertainty regarding autonomous vehicles among the Austrian population," noted Jörg Hipp, Chief Product Officer at Allianz Austria. "This is less based on personal experiences and more on psychological factors such as lack of familiarity, fear of losing control, negative reporting, and the general tendency to perceive the unknown as particularly risky." For the survey, around 1,200 people were interviewed in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic.

(APA/Red)

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