The research by specialist insurance broker Adrian Flux found that just 5% said they would get behind the wheel of the new technology, with 24% undecided.

Of those who’ve vetoed driverless cars, more than 45% don’t like the idea of not being in control, while nearly 36% said they simply enjoy driving too much to hand over the reins.

Nearly 5% worry about the implications of hacking, 4.4% fear they will be too expensive, and 2.9% don’t believe they will ever catch on.

One customer said: “I love the overall driving experience and being in control. I love technological advance but love to drive and the overall experience and the sensation it provides.”

Another, who spent a career in IT, added: “I know that if something could go wrong, there will come a time when it will.”

Gerry Bucke, general manager at Flux, said: “There appears little doubt that driverless cars will become a reality in one form or another, but motorists are clearly struggling with the idea of giving up the freedom of the open road and simple pleasure of driving great cars.

“Many people have a real passion for cars and driving, and if vehicles are all essentially the same, moving around the country at fixed speeds with no input from the driver, one of life’s pleasures will be taken away.

“The biggest stumbling block to this new technology, however good it may be, could well be that people simply don’t want it.”