November 2013
Featured in this insight: Automotive, Financial services
Survey finds nine in ten drivers would consider self-driving cars to reduce insurance premiums: A recent survey by CarInsurance.com suggests that the majority (90%) of licenced drivers would consider buying a self-driving car if it meant paying 80% less for insurance. Among respondents, a third (34%), said they would be ‘very likely’ to buy a self-driving vehicle while half (56%) said they would ‘consider it’ if such an insurance discount was offered.
Saving money was not the only factor. About a fifth (20%) of respondents said they would a self-driving vehicle if one was available with or without an insurance discount.
Despite non-automotive companies such as Google working to develop such autonomous vehicles, half (54%) of respondents said they would be more inclined to trust an automaker than a software company to develop the vehicles.
When respondents were asked what they would do with free time available in an autonomous vehicle, a quarter (26%) said text or talk with friends, a fifth said they would read, and a tenth (10%) would like to catch up on some sleep.
Bryan Reimer, a research scientist at the MIT AgeLab, said:
"We will see a big change in the type of accidents that occur… Fender-benders will likely go away, but the accidents that do happen will be much more expensive. A bumper loaded with sensors and cameras is much more costly than a regular bumper.”
View more of our sector specific insights: Automotive, Financial services
