Continental Mobility Study 2018: A Cautionary Perspective on Automated Driving in America

• Driver concern with automated driving reliability sharply increased over the past five years
• Continental remains committed to steady technology integration allowing drivers to gradually adjust to automation as it progresses

Auburn Hills, Mich., October 18, 2018 -  Technology company Continental has released its 2018 Mobility Study and its findings indicate the general understanding of automated driving still faces challenges despite continuous progression and integration in the U.S. While understanding of automated driving has grown in the United States over the past five years, still only half of the study respondents believe automated driving is a useful advancement, up from 40 percent in 2013. A surprising 77 percent of respondents show concern about automated driving reliability, up significantly from 50 percent in 2013. 

Compared to the Continental Mobility Study 2013, more individuals expect automated driving to be a part of everyday life in the next five to 10 years, with growth from 40 to 52 percent of respondents in that category. As technology tracks towards this timeline, drivers attitudes showcase a cautionary outlook. While 77 percent of drivers are somewhat scared of automated driving, 51 percent trust it could prevent serious accidents and 54 percent believe it will help during stressful or monotonous situations.   

"It’s important to point out to consumers that while automated driving is coming, it will be an evolutionary integration," said Jeff Klei, President of Continental North America. "Many of today’s drivers are currently taking advantage of highly assisted and partially automated driving technologies that make vehicles safer and better, such as adaptive cruise control, back-up assist with automated emergency braking, lane departure warning and lane keeping systems.  At Continental, we believe in a building blocks approach to introducing new innovations in this area. That is why we are continuing to emphasize the importance of the steady technology integration allowing drivers to gradually adjust to automation as it progresses.” 

Automated Driving at Continental
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) automation scale has five levels: 1 – driver assistance; 2 – partial automation; 3 – conditional automation, 4 – high automation and 5 – full automation. 

In levels 1-3, Continental has a robust technology portfolio of advanced driver assistance systems that enhance user experience and safety but require drivers to remain engaged. These technologies include: Emergency Brake Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Traffic Sign Assist, Intelligent Headlamp Control, Lane Departure Warning, Road Departure Protection, Back-Up Assist and Mirror Replacement. Continental’s Cruising Chauffeur function allows the vehicle to take over from the driver on highways adjusting its speed to traffic conditions and regulations. The driver does not have to take over again until exiting the highway, which the vehicle announces ahead of time.

Keeping the ultimate goal of Vision Zero – zero fatalities, injuries and accidents – in mind, Continental is continuously developing high-tech solutions and concepts focused on level 4 and 5 automation. Continental develops sensors, control units, motion control solutions, human-machine interface solutions, operating systems and software for automated driving. The company continues to advance its development with a global fleet of vehicles in the U.S., Germany, Japan and China to explore various elements and ensure production readiness worldwide. 

In city settings, the Continental Urban mobility Experience, known as the CUbE and intelligent infrastructure concepts are being used to analyze the integration of present-day technology with potential future smart city solutions. Based on knowledge gained from current information gathering, Continental will further cultivate systems and technologies that track towards full automation where vehicles can perform all driving functions. 

"As a technology company, we are focused on changing the perception and awareness of the ongoing transition to automated driving,” Klei said. "Automated driving technologies will not only make driving more efficient, it will also lead to greater safety on our roads and reduce emissions. This is why we are working on all forms of assisted and automated driving – on the highway, in the city and when parking.”

One of the biggest advantages to assisted and automated driving is reduced accidents. Today, human error accounts for more than 90 percent of all traffic accidents. On the contrary, however, when survey respondents were asked about their driving abilities, confidence remained high with over 80 percent responding they believed they were good drivers. 

“While drivers are confident in their abilities, human error is the number one cause of road accidents” Klei added. “Widespread embrace of automated driving could eliminate all accidents, saving nearly 40,000 lives a year in the U.S. alone.”

The Continental Mobility Study 2018 focused on gaining better insights into U.S. consumers understanding of automated driving. Continental once again partnered with the market and social research institute infas to conduct a representative survey of drivers and non-drivers in the U.S.

About Continental

Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2017, Continental generated sales of €44 billion and currently employs more than 243,000 people in 60 countries.