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Driverless cars welcome for morning commute but not school run

Brits would be happy to use driverless cars when commuting to work but wouldn’t trust them to transport their kids.

School sign

26.5% of drivers said they’d happily hand over the morning commute yet only 15% would use a driverless car for the school run

The research by car dealership Citygate found a number of circumstances where drivers would welcome fully autonomous cars but indicated areas where trust was a concern.

The survey of 1,000 drivers found usage of driverless cars for long-distance travel was most popular, with 34% of Brits saying they’d welcome a break from driving during lengthy journeys.

The technology’s role as ‘designated driver’ was also highlighted with nearly a third (29%) of survey participants admitting they’d be most interested in using a driverless car while under the influence.

Over a quarter (26.5%) of respondents said they’d happily hand over the morning commute and 24.3% said they’d be most likely to rely on a driverless car after dark.

Yet only 15% of Brits said they’d use a driverless car for the school run

And 6% of all participants revealed they wouldn’t use a driverless car under any circumstances.

Steven Crouch, Citygate marketing manager, said: “Whether it’s after a night out or a long journey, drivers want to look after themselves and others around them – but it appears that, when it comes to their kids, Brits would rather stay in the driver’s seat.”

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Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.