Just 30% Of Drivers Want Self-Driving Vehicles On Uk Roads
Venson survey finds little support for autonomous vehicles, yet change is happening so fleet managers need the support of their business to keep pace
Just two years ahead of self-driving vehicles taking to UK roads in 2026 under the new Automated Vehicles Act, drivers are yet to be convinced. 48% of drivers in a recent Venson Automotive Solutions survey said they do not support autonomous vehicles, and 22% remain unsure. Just 30% – 37% of males and 24% of females – support self-driving cars.
The key aim of the Automated Vehicle Act is improving road safety. With more deaths occurring from at-work road trips than in the workplace itself and 88% of collisions are caused by human error, its introduction alongside the arrival of autonomous vehicles should be welcomed by businesses operating grey, company and commercial fleets. However, fleet managers, with the support of other departments in their businesses, will need to begin reviewing and updating their driving-for-work policies now to reflect the rapidly changing laws and onboard AI technology.
To understand the prevalence of human error by drivers, the Venson survey asked respondents about their daily bad driving habits. 31% admitted to being impatient, 28% to being distracted and 25% to driving too fast. Other driver errors included misjudging the distance between vehicles (16%), not checking blind spots before merging or changing lanes (14%) and late braking (10%). These risks should be eliminated when automated vehicles become commonplace on UK roads, making them safer and more accessible for all.
Younger respondents were more likely to admit to unsafe driving habits and the most likely to support autonomous vehicles, with 47% of 18-44-year-olds in favour, compared with 16% of those aged 45 and over. Those aged 25-34 are most confident, with 57% saying they do support self-driving cars on UK roads.
Simon Staton, Client Management Director for Venson Automotive Solutions comments, “Of course, many vehicles on the road today already include semi-autonomous driver assistance features, but 70% of those we surveyed clearly feel it is too big a leap to shift from lane assist, adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking to sitting back while the car takes full control. Over the next few years, many businesses will have a mixed fleet with different levels of autonomy which will need to be managed well to avoid misunderstandings relating to liability and responsibility.”
As vehicle automation steadily increases, drivers need to ensure they understand the functions and benefits, as well as their own responsibility when driving a semi-autonomous vehicle or ‘piloting’ a fully autonomous vehicle in future.
Simon Staton concludes: “When AI is in control of the vehicle, the potentially dangerous driving habits of today won’t pose a risk, so we should ultimately see road safety improve. While company car drivers may shy away from switching to autonomous as soon as they become legal in 2026, keenness to explore the options will undoubtedly grow and in turn acceptance and fleet operators need to be ready.”
Venson’s free white paper – The Journey Towards Full Driving Automation – aims to aid businesses in keeping track of Connected Autonomous Mobility (CAM) developments and ultimately, recognise that the self-driving revolution is already here.