The UK public is positive about the benefits of self-driving vehicles but having a safety operator onboard is key to boosting confidence.

A total of 70% of the public surveyed saw benefits in automated vehicles but public confidence in them is boosted by the presence of a safety operator

A new opinion poll found almost three-quarters of the public surveyed (70%) said they see benefits in connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), including safety gains.

And nearly three-fifths (59%) said they would feel more confident as a passenger in an automated vehicle knowing an onboard safety operator could take control or intervene if necessary, with more than 40% saying the safety operator would make them feel more confident as a pedestrian.

The findings have been revealed as the British Standards Institution (BSI) publishes its new safety standard for automated vehicles. It’s the latest in the BSI series of standards from the CAV Standards Programme, which launched two years ago to promote safe trialling and testing of automated vehicles on public roads, in collaboration with the UK’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), Department for Transport and Innovation UK.

The new standard promotes good practice in the training and use of safety operators, commonly used in trials and testing of CAVs, to help manage safety risks and supervise the operation of the vehicles as technology advances.

It’s intended to not only ensure safety during CAV trials around the UK, but also help build public confidence.

While the BSI research has found the public is largely positive around the benefits of CAVs, respondents indicated ‘trust in the technology’ poses the biggest barrier to acceptance. A total of 39% cited trust issues related to ethics, safety and security.

Anne Hayes, director of sectors at BSI, said: “Our new research has found that the successful deployment of automated vehicles in the UK depends on the public’s confidence in their own safety. It shows that safety operators have a critical role in both automated vehicle trials and development testing, as well as the promotion of greater trust in the new technologies.”

She added: “The newly published guidance covers training and supervision of safety operators and demonstrates that the UK is putting safety first while this technology develops on the road to fully automated vehicles.”