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AAA Survey: American Trust in Self-Driving Cars is Growing

The automotive association found that U.S. drivers are becoming more trusting of the autonomous vehicle technology.

(TNS) — Compared to last year's survey results, AAA found that 20 million more U.S. drivers would trust a self-driving vehicle to take them for a ride.

"Americans are starting to feel more comfortable with the idea of self-driving vehicles," said Greg Brannon, AAA Automotive Engineering and Industry Relations director.

The annual survey this year found 63 percent of U.S. drivers felt afraid to ride in a fully self-driving vehicle -- a significant drop from 78 percent in early 2017.

AAA found millennial and male drivers are the most trusting of autonomous technologies. Only half reported they would be afraid to ride in a self-driving vehicle.

In AAA's survey, only 13 percent of U.S. drivers reported they would feel safer sharing the road with a self-driving vehicle, while nearly half, or 46 percent, would actually feel less safe.

While fears of self-driving cars are easing, drivers report high confidence in their own driving abilities. Seventy-three percent of U.S. drivers consider themselves better-than-average drivers, despite the fact that more than 90 percent of crashes are the result of human error.

To ensure drivers are informed, prepared and comfortable with this shift in mobility, AAA urges automakers to prioritize consumer education.

©2018 Staten Island Advance, N.Y. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.