Even more indicative of Americans' sentiment on self-driving vehicles, only 52 percent of Americans (down 12 points from 2017) say they are confident that the technology will develop safely enough to consider trading their conventional vehicles for self-driving ones.

Companies continue to invest billions of dollars into autonomous vehicle technology, despite the recent fatal crashes. Supporting these findings by Ipsos and Allianz Global Assistance is a Pew Research Center survey which found that 39 percent said they were not sure whether the vehicles would make roads safer or more dangerous, and 87 percent favored requiring that a human always be behind the wheel to take control if something goes awry.

"Based on consumer perceptions, our survey reveals an uncertain future for self-driving cars," says Daniel Durazo, director of communications, Allianz Global Assistance USA. "Many Americans are far from being convinced that self-driving cars can be operated safely on our streets. As our Future of Travel survey last year indicated, more travelers would feel safer on a rocket to space than being a passenger in a self-driving vehicle." View the Future of Travel survey results here.

Highlights from the survey findings are presented in this video.

Self-Driving Cars Recently there have been news stories in the media about ride-sharing services (i.e. Uber, Lyft, etc.) concerning safety and the regulation of ride-sharing services. Have these stories made you more or less likely to use these services as a result?

2018 2017 Much more likely to use 6% 8% Somewhat more likely to use 6% 7% No impact 55% 50% Somewhat less likely to use 19% 23% Much less likely to use 14% 12% If given the opportunity, how interested are you in utilizing self-driving/autonomous vehicles (Google, Uber, Tesla Autopilot, etc.)?

2018 2017 Very interested 17% 22% Somewhat interested 26% 32% Not very interested 25% 24% Not at all interested 32% 23% What are the reasons for your lack of interest in self-driving/autonomous cars?

2018 2017 Safety Concerns 71% 65% Cost/Budget 21% 20% Lack of Familiarity 23% 21% Bad Publicity 12% 10% I'd be interested eventually, but I don't want to be a 'guinea pig' 24% 21% Other 9% 10% How confident are you that self-driving/autonomous cars will develop safely enough for you to consider using?

2018 2017 Very confident 18% 23% Somewhat confident 34% 41% Not very confident 31% 25% Not at all confident 17% 11%

*Methodology: These are findings of an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Allianz Global Assistance. For this survey, a sample of 1,005 Americans from the Ipsos I-Say panel was interviewed from May 2 – 5, 2018. The precision of online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the results are accurate to within +/- 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had all American adults been polled. Quota sampling and weighting were employed in order to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual U.S. population, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Credibility intervals are wider among subsets of the population.

Allianz Global Assistance USA

Allianz Global Assistance USA (AGA Service Company) is a leading consumer specialty insurance and assistance company. We serve more than 35 million customers annually and are best known for our Allianz Travel Insurance plans. In addition to travel insurance, Allianz Global Assistance USA offers tuition insurance, event ticket protection, registration protection for endurance events and unique travel assistance services such as international medical assistance and concierge services. The company also serves as an outsource provider for in-bound call center services and claims administration for property and casualty insurers and credit card companies.

To learn more about Allianz Travel Insurance, please visit allianztravelinsurance.com or Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/AllianzTravelInsuranceUS.

**Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply to all plans. Plans are available only to U.S. residents. Not all plans are available in all jurisdictions. For a complete description of the coverage and benefit limits offered under your plan, carefully review your plan's Letter of Confirmation/Declarations and Certificate of Insurance/Policy. Insurance coverage is underwritten by BCS Insurance Company (OH, Administrative Office: Oakbrook Terrace, IL), rated "A-" (Excellent) by A.M. Best Co., under BCS Form No. 52.201 series or 52.401 series, or Jefferson Insurance Company (NY, Administrative Office: Richmond, VA), rated "A+" (Superior) by A.M. Best Co., under Jefferson Form No. 101-C series or 101-P series, or Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies (One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH 43215-2200), under Form Nos. SRTC 2000 and NSHTC 2500, each rated "A+" (Superior) by A.M. Best Co., depending on state of residence. Allianz Global Assistance and Allianz Travel Insurance are marks of AGA Service Company or its affiliates. AGA Service Company is the licensed producer and administrator of these plans and an affiliate of Jefferson Insurance Company. The insured shall not receive any special benefit or advantage due to the affiliation between AGA Service Company and Jefferson Insurance Company. Non-insurance benefits/products are provided and serviced by AGA Service Company. Allianz Global Assistance does not endorse or sponsor any of the above non-affiliated companies.

SOURCE Allianz Global Assistance USA

Related Links

http://www.allianztravelinsurance.com

