Public perception on increasing use of technology in automobiles: Survey findings

The use of advanced technology in automobiles has increased dramatically over the past decade. Automobile manufacturers continue to equip vehicles with more in-vehicle devices, including: navigation systems, blind-spot assist systems and adaptive cruise control systems. At the same time, regulators such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Authority have been working to ensure that these systems do not pose a safety hazard. Opinions of the end-users regarding this increase in use of advanced in-vehicle technology have rarely been sought. Consequently, the research presented in this paper attempts to fill this gap using responses from a public opinion survey of 434 drivers. The results from this stated preference survey shows that over 89 percent of the respondents support advanced in-vehicle technologies whereas only 26 percent support technology use from an infrastructure side. The results from this paper are especially important as the connected vehicle program is being introduced to the research arena.