Most Los Angeles County residents have yet to embrace autonomous ride-hailing services such as Waymo and remain skeptical of their safety, according to a survey released by USC.
The survey, conducted among 1,280 county residents between Feb. 20 and May 10, found only 5% of respondents had used an autonomous ride-hailing service during the previous year, compared with 28% who used traditional ride-hailing services such as Uber or Lyft.
Researchers found younger residents and those with bachelor’s degrees or higher were more likely to use driverless services. Non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black residents also reported higher usage rates than other racial and ethnic groups.
Despite limited use, respondents generally viewed autonomous vehicles as safer from harassment or crime than traditional ride-hailing services. About 23% rated driverless vehicles as “safe” or “very safe” from harassment or crime, compared with 17% for Uber or Lyft rides with drivers.
Women reported a significantly higher sense of safety in autonomous vehicles than in driver-operated ride-hailing services. Among female respondents, 21% considered driverless services “safe” or “very safe” from harassment or crime, compared with 13% for traditional ride-hailing services.
However, attitudes shifted when respondents were asked about accidents and injuries. Only 9% considered autonomous vehicles such as Waymo safe from crashes, the lowest rating among all transportation modes included in the survey.
“When it comes to traffic safety, Angelenos still feel more comfortable with a person behind the wheel,” according to the survey, “although it is unclear if that is because they distrust Waymo’s technology or how other L.A. County drivers will react to autonomous vehicles on the road.”
The findings were released Thursday by the USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service as part of its LABarometer Mobility & Sustainability survey, which tracks transportation and environmental attitudes and behaviors throughout Los Angeles County.