A prototype of a driverless car is seen in a photograph provided by Google in Mountain View, California May 28, 2014. — Handout via Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 19 — Whether it is for comfort, saving time or safety, the idea of one day having a totally autonomous car attracts motorists across the globe, according to the 2016 Observatoire Cetelem automotive survey.

The proportion of motorists who, even occasionally, use a driving assistance system such as a GPS-type device, an app or a website to guide them, is now very much the majority. In China, this applies to 97 per cent of motorists compared with 86 per cent in France. To give a more detailed picture, regardless of their location, an average of 69 per cent of motorists use a smartphone, 40 per cent a mobile GPS device and 32 per cent a computer for journey preparation or guidance.

Overall, connected cars are viewed positively by motorists who regard them as advantageous in terms of driving comfort (83 per cent), saving time (81 per cent) and safety (77 per cent). It is therefore not surprising that the same motorists cite safety (77 per cent) and an opportunity to save money (73 per cent) as their main expectations for this type of car.

In regards to self-driving cars, three-quarters of the motorists questioned think that that will become a reality one day (67 per cent in France). 48 per cent of them think they will be able to enjoy some free time in an entirely autonomous car. 40 per cent would take the opportunity to talk to the passengers, 37 per cent would sleep during the trip and 25 per cent would work.

And a majority of them (55 per cent) are already prepared to buy a Google Car or an Apple Car if these vehicles were to go on sale.

Lastly, the Observatoire indicated that the market for new passenger vehicles grew by an average of 2.2 per cent worldwide in 2015 (+6.4 per cent in France). The Observatoire expects another year of growth in 2016 with an estimated 3.6 per cent rise in sales worldwide (+3.1 per cent in France).

The Observatoire Cetelem automotive survey for 2016 is the result of surveys conducted by TNS-Sofres in July 2015 via the internet in South Africa, Germany, Belgium, Brazil, China, Spain, the US, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, the UK, and Turkey. In total, 8,500 people were questioned (representative samples of at least 500 per country). The analyses and forecasts were carried out in partnership with the market research and consultancy firm BIPE. — AFP-Relaxnews