J.D. Power: 20% of vehicle owners want self-driving cars, do you? (w/ Poll)

During its 2012 U.S. Automotive Emerging Technologies Study, J.D. Power and Associates found that vehicle owners have come to expect a certain level of safety features and are now turning their attention more to infotainment technologies in their vehicle.

The study showed that customers now look for features such as enhanced collision mitigation, wireless connectivity system, surround-view rear-vision camera and personal assistance safety services.

The study also found that 20 percent of vehicle owners ‘definitely would’ or ‘probably would’ purchase autonomous driving mode in their next vehicle after learning the estimated market price of $3,000. Prior to learning the price, interest for this technology was at 37 percent.

For those of you unfamiliar with autonomous driving – it basically means that the vehicle takes control of acceleration, braking and steering, without any human interaction

“Consumers are still learning about how autonomous driving technology could be used in their vehicles,” said VanNieuwkuyk. “Many owners are skeptical about releasing control of their vehicle and would like to see the technology proved out before they adopt it.”

I for one am completely against autonomous driving and that’s only because I love driving so much. What are your thoughts? Have your say in the poll below.