J.D. Power study finds autonomous safety concerns

Many are skeptical when it comes to safety of autonomous vehicles, says a new J.D. Power study.

With the exception of the Gen Y cohort, those born between the early 1980s and late 1990s, all other generational groups have concerns over self-driving technology, posing a threat to technology developers and car manufactures, says the U.S. Tech Choice Study.

Comparing responses to 2016, 11 per cent more Gen Z consumers, those born after Gen Y, and nine per cent more Pre-Boomers say they don’t trust automated technology. That said, the study showed consumers this year have a great interest in collision protection and driving assist technology. Before learning the price of a vehicle, consumers were interested in things like smart headlights, rear-view cameras, emergency braking, advanced windshield display, and more. These features come from those two aforementioned categories.

J.D. Power noted that self-driving technology brings many advantages, such as collision mitigation and mobility freedom allowing those who are unable to operate a vehicle. However, 40 per cent of Boomers reported that they don’t see any benefit whatsoever of autonomous vehicles.

The study also found a generation gap. Younger consumers were found to be more comfortable with technologies that assume control of vehicle operating functions, J.D. Power said. For example, this includes having mobile devices take control of infotainment systems, an in-vehicle artificial intelligence-based assistant, and autonomous driving and parking technologies.