Study Claims Young Drivers Want Parental Restrictions in Cars
If you haven’t heard about parental controls in vehicles yet, they work a lot like parental controls on televisions and computers. These features restrict the freedom children are given. In the case of automobiles, parents can restrict things like the speed of the vehicle, the number of passengers, and the places the car can go. If these restrictions are violated, the car shuts down.
Boundaries like that may sound constraining and tedious, but according to a recent study, the vast majority of teenagers actually desire such limitations!
Who Wants Self-Driving Vehicle Safety Restrictions?
A survey conducted by Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering asked 1,000 participants between the ages of 18 and 70 about programmable features on “self-driving” cars that restrict driver freedom. Of participants surveyed, 84% were in favor of controlling the speed limit, passenger count, and curfew time–including 81% of those between the ages of 18-24.
Notably, only 61% of all respondents would appreciate being able to limit geographic control. However, teenagers’ responses showed that they prefer a text-based display for parents to communicate with the driver more than older adults do. The demographic desiring the most overall restrictive features were women middle-aged and older.
The big question is–do people desire these restrictive features for themselves, or to know that other drivers on the road are being monitored, thus improving the safety? The latter seems much more likely.
Will the age of self-driving cars usher in fewer accidents and happier drivers? If teens and parents can both agree on restrictive features, the future looks promising!
News Source: Carnegie Melon University via Wired
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