A NEW study has revealed the main concerns of drivers in the UK with not being in control of self-driving cars topping the list.

The study, commissioned by leading vehicle history check and valuation specialist HPI polled the views of over 2,000 UK adults and also found that the next biggest area of concern for under half of drivers (49 per cent) was the behaviour of other road users.

The poll found that women are slightly more concerned about not feeling in complete control og their car than men (60 per cent versus 55 per cent).

Two in five drivers (41 per cent) are concerned about being involved in an accident, and just over three in ten (37.5 per cent) said that the general state and conditions of UK roads worry them.

A third of motorists (37 per cent) are concerned about how driverless cars interact, and a third (35 per cent) worry about their lack of confidence in using the technology.

Faults and breakdowns are on the minds of three in ten (35 per cent), similarly, 35 per cent have trust issues with driverless cars.

Some 34 per cent are deterred by the cost of a driverless car, assuming they are more expensive than normal cars; not being able to drive how they would like to is an issue for just one in five (20 per cent), and sticking to speed limits is a worry for less than one in ten (9 per cent).

Trust levels in driverless cars among younger drivers (18-26-year-olds) are two and a half times higher than they are among drivers aged 55-64 and over 65s (26 per cent vs 13 per cent vs 10 per cent).

In May 2024, the Automated Vehicles Act (AV Act) was passed into law, providing the legal framework for driverless cars to operate on UK roads. The AV Act sets out all the safety standards, data security, and insurance requirements and could see driverless cars operational as soon as 2026.

Matt Freeman, managing consultant at HPI, said: "Fully autonomous vehicles could be on UK roads by as early as 2026, so the results of our study into concerns around driverless technology are encouraging.

"Drivers seem to be prepared to adopt the technology, and general trepidation levels are fairly balanced, especially as the vehicles are not even around at present. The arrival of driverless cars will be the biggest technological advancement to happen in the automotive sector for decades. It seems to be an exciting area of motoring for most people, especially younger generations."

"Our latest research into public attitudes towards driverless cars shows that attitudes are most definitely shifting, and the results indicate that people are getting increasingly used to the idea. Perhaps the increasing use and trust of artificial intelligence in other areas of life is partly responsible for this, as well as the fact that many drivers have been comfortable with using autonomous tech in their cars already for several years, such as auto braking, adaptive cruise control, lane assist and driver assistance systems."