Hearts and minds are the key to our driverless future

Emerging technology with the potential to change the world, always takes time to gain the full backing of society. Trains, planes and automobiles all had to battle scepticism in their infancy, only to later gain strong backing and revolutionise the way we think about travel.

The latest leap forward in travel technology, driverless cars, have moved from science fiction – think Total Recall’s Johnny Cab, the Explorers in Jurassic Park and Kitt from Knight Rider – to being road tested in the blink of an eye.

However, the development of autonomous vehicles stands at a crossroads, with concerns over safety following the death of Elaine Herzberg earlier this month in Arizona. Elaine was struck by a Volvo SUV being tested in autonomous mode. It appeared that the vehicle did not slow down and the human operator did not intervene.

So, what does the accident mean for the future of autonomous vehicles? In the short term, Uber, the company testing the SUV involved in the latest accident, have suspended their North American autonomous vehicle programme.

The move is a sensible one. Time should be taken to reflect on Elaine’s death and to allow her family and friends to grieve. But while driverless cars will come in for criticism, now is not the time to pull the plug on their development. The benefits of bringing fully autonomous vehicles to the road remain the same, despite the tragic accident in Arizona.

Driverless cars can make roads much safer. Some 90% of road traffic accidents are a result of human error, so the impact on road deaths – of which there are around 1.25m a year – cannot be understated.

There’s also the impact autonomous vehicles can have on mobility. The tech could revolutionise travel for the elderly and less able who might otherwise struggle with driving or public transport and can help change the lives of those living in remote communities.

Every company, including AXA which is part of five driverless cars projects in the UK, working hard to bring autonomous vehicles to roads around the world, need to work equally hard to win the hearts and mind or the public.

The task ahead in not easy. According to the AAA, 54% of Americans would feel less safe sharing the road with an autonomous vehicle if they were in a regular car. However, more encouraging, is that 59% said they would welcome self-driving technology in the next vehicle they bought.

While people might not be completely convinced now, the case for driverless cars, and the positive impact they can have on society remains strong.

After all, not only will autonomous vehicles completely change the way we think about mobility but driverless cars will save many more lives than they will end.