Dubai is aiming for 25% of transport vehicles to become driverless by 2030. But according to a survey conducted for driverless buses and taxis, most respondents said they wouldn’t be keen to hop in a computer-driven bus or new or used car Dubai.
The survey was held by OBOTEO-UAE and only 1 in 8 respondents said that they would take a driverless taxi when it is launched on the roads.
As per their estimation, it would take 15 months for 50% of the riders to adopt driverless taxis. Moreover, it will be another five years before figures reach the 89% acceptance mark.
The inevitable question of what should happen if a “taxident” happens comes up. 2 in 5 respondents held the taxi to be accountable, a quarter deemed the car brand to be responsible, 9 % said the insurer and 16% placed the blame on the licensing authority.
The residents also seem strict about the course of action that is to be followed soon after the accident, with 1 in 3 saying that the taxi must be decommissioned as soon as possible.
When asked if the passengers would let their children be driven by a driverless school bus, the results were mixed with more against the autonomous technology.
The survey also gleaned information on another practical cum philosophical inquiry. Whose safety must be prioritised by the driverless car incase there is an accident?
More than half (51%) of the respondents said that the crash should always put the passenger’s safety first. Additionally, 25% of the members said that there should be a marked concern for the safety of the children and pregnant women, though it seems ambiguous on how the car would recognize them.
Ayman Alashkar, CEO, OBOTEO-UAE, said that the main motto of driverless vehicles is to reduce road accidents and save lives that occur mostly as a result of human errors.
He further added that driverless vehicles could reduce road accidents by a whopping 70 to 90% as human errors seem to be the main cause of road accidents.
Whether driverless vehicles become the norm or not, the era of traditional cars is still reigning. Hop onto CarSwitch.com for used cars for sale that are pre-inspected and quality assured. Happy shopping!
