American consumers think self-driving cars are better

Autonomous or self-driving cars are looking to be the future of automotive industry – and 66% of Americans lean towards that idea. That’s at least according to a study by PwC, a global provider of professional services.

Among 1,584 consumers across U.S., a majority of them think that autonomous cars are smarter than the average human driver. Well, who could blame them? With almost 30,000 motor vehicle fatalities in the U.S. alone in 2014, faith in human driving can naturally be tainted.

The main leverage of self-driving cars against human drivers is the absence of emotions. An autonomous vehicle can decide to speed or stop, with the use of cameras and radar that read road signs. On the other hand, a human driver can go crazy when another car cut off his lane.

The contrast above was also seen by the majority of the respondents on PwC’s survey, particularly those with ages 21 to 49. Although, the people outside that age range were less interested in any automotive technology.

As for the Philippines, the idea of self-driving cars is far-fetched for now. We still haven’t heard from the manufacturers if and when will they bring the technology here. Or if Tesla will take interest in investing locally.

If you think about it, we could really use it in our daily lives. Imagine letting your car drive through the EDSA traffic without pressing any pedal. That will be both convenient and stress-free, considering how lambasted our drivers and roads are. The energy you spend in driving can be saved on taking naps while on your way to work. It’s like having a personal driver, minus his salary.

Don’t get us started about self-driving jeepneys and buses. Just a wild guess, but we’re thinking that A.I. drivers could be more disciplined as compared to our local ‘tsupers.’ Agree or disagree?  

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