Consumers Know, But Don’t Trust Self-Driving Vehicles, Study Shows

InnovationTransportationConsumers Know, But Don’t Trust Self-Driving Vehicles, Study ShowsByEd Garsten,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Ed Garsten is a metro Detroit-based reporter who covers autos/mobilityFollow AuthorJun 11, 2026, 11:31am EDTA new study by JD Power and MIT shows consumers are aware of autonomous vehicles, but don't trust them.gettyAmericans are increasingly aware of automated, self-driving vehicles, but they’re also increasingly wary of them, a study released Thursday shows. While understanding the technology and capabilities of AVs among U.S. consumers has increased to 58% from 43% in 2024, that understanding is not translating into trusting them, according to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Mobility Confidence Index (MCI) Study.SM conducted in collaboration with the MIT Advanced Vehicle Technology (AVT) Consortium. Indeed, fewer than one-in-four of the 2,898 consumers age 18 and over responding to the online survey in April said they would be “comfortable” riding in a fully self-driving vehicle. That hesitation to ride in an AV, however, is highly dependent on the specific situation, the study found. More than half, 54%, said they would have greater confidence in lower-risk, predictable scenarios such as food pickup, compared with just 31% for transporting children, revealing how higher risk leads to lower trust. The key to boosting confidence in full self-driving vehicles even in the face of perceived risk depends on “proven safety, real-world performance and clear consumer value,” said Lisa Boor, director of auto benchmarking and mobility development at JD Power, in a statement. “Consumers need to see that these systems can respond to unexpected situations, perform reliably in real-world conditions and clearly communicate what they are doing. Without that, broader adoption will remain limited,” she added. MORE FOR YOUIt’s a head-scratching situation, illustrated by the organizations’ Mobility...