Self-driving cars need to give passengers a better experience. Here’s how.

“He doesn’t even trust my driving, do you think he’ll trust a machine?” My friend was half-joking, but his father’s long ‘nooooooooo’ when we mentioned self-driving cars gave us a clue. I realized one crucial barrier to the uptake of connected vehicles: most people are anxious to enter one to begin with.

My friend’s dad isn’t alone in his sentiment. In a 2018 survey, 52 percent of Americans claimed they would never want to use a driverless car, and only 9 percent said they would use one as soon as possible. Older users are also far less willing to use one. This does not seem right. As I grow old, I want to benefit from autonomous vehicles, especially if I lose my mobility or ability to drive. I want self-driving taxis to take me to parks, connect me with my family, or take me to medical appointments.

So, why the hesitation? Why the long, emphatic ‘nooooooo’s?

https://www.ericsson.com/en/blog/2020/1/self-driving-car-passenger-experience