Self-Driving Cars and Technology Adoption

The 54 percent majority of Americans say they are unlikely to use self-driving cars, according to a Gallup survey. The biggest naysayers are, of course, older adults...

Not likely to use a self-driving car
Aged 18 to 35: 41%
Aged 36 to 50: 49%
Aged 51 to 65: 61%
Aged 66-plus: 69%

But don't take these figures too seriously. "Americans have previously underestimated their potential adoption of new technology," Gallup notes, citing cell phones as an example (see Demo Memo post about Gallup's cell phone report here). Twenty-three percent of Americans told Gallup in 2000 that they would never get a cell phone, and only 5 percent did not have a cell phone in 2018. If the same ratio holds, then only 12 percent of the public will be saying no to self-driving cars in another decade or two.

Source: Gallup, Americans Hit The Brakes on Self-Driving Cars