Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for May 21, 2018
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
May 21, 2018: Fifty-three percent (53%) of American adults expect driverless cars to be common within a decade.
That figure includes 19% who believe they will be common within five years. At the other extreme, Gallup research found that 15% of Americans believe it will take more than 20 years for self-driving cars to be common in the United States.[1]
An earlier Number of the Day showed one reason that it will take a while for self-driving cars to become the norm: Americans hang on to their cars for an average of 11.2 years. There are still nearly two million cars on the road from the 1960s.
The concept of self-driving cars has moved rapidly from the realm of science fiction to reality. Twenty-two states have passed laws guiding the operation of self-driving vehicles. Additionally, 10 governors have issued executive orders on the topic.
Still, self-driving cars represent such a fundamental cultural change that many Americans remain uncomfortable with them. In fact, 24% of American adults oppose self-driving cars and say that they will never use them.
One of the potential benefits of self-driving cars is increased safety. However, the American public isn’t sold on that point. The recent Gallup survey found that just 28% believe having all or mostly self-driving cars on the road is the safest option.
Another potential benefit comes from the fact that the vast majority of interactions between police officers and American citizens are related to cars and driving. Self-driving cars might eliminate more than 32 million such interactions every year, freeing police for other duties.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- May 18, 2018 – 72 percent of Americans favored anti-lynching law in 1937
- May 17, 2018 – 46 U.S. police officers killed by felons in 2017
- May 16, 2018 – 50 percent of 2018 U.S. advertising sales will be on digital platforms
- May 15, 2018 – 32 percent of American children living with an unmarried parent
- May 14, 2018 – 890 billion dollars held by U.S. philanthropic foundations
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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