A survey of public opinion about connected vehicles in the U.S., the U.K., and Australia

Abstract

This survey examined public opinion regarding connected-vehicle technology across three major English-speaking countries—the U.S., the U.K., and Australia. The survey yielded useable responses from 1,596 persons over the age of 18. The main results were as follows: • The majority of respondents had not previously heard of connected-vehicle technology; however, most had a positive initial opinion of the technology. • The majority felt that the expected benefits presented in the survey are likely to occur. • Respondents generally expressed a high level of concern regarding the security and performance issues presented in the survey. • The majority of those surveyed stated that safety was the most important benefit of connected vehicles. • Most individuals said that it is important for personal communication devices to integrate with connected vehicles, as well as for such vehicles to have Internet connectivity. • The majority of respondents expressed a desire to have this technology in their vehicle. • Willingness to pay for connected-vehicle technology was very similar across the three countries. The main implications of these results are that the general public in the three countries surveyed feel positive about connected vehicles, have optimistic expectations of the benefits (while still maintaining some concerns), and generally appear ready and willing to embrace connected-vehicle technology when it becomes available.