A study conducted by Startline Motor Finance has found that six in 10 (64%) of drivers are worried about sharing roads with self-driving cars when the UK trial begins next year.
41% of drivers were curious about self-driving cars and interested in observing them, while 39% planned to drive normally around them.
One in five drivers (21%) said they expect to get used to them quickly and 15% said they will make roads safer.
Despite this, 64% of drivers said said they will be more cautious around these vehicles and 28% said the technology should not be tested on public roads.
27% said the self-driving car trial will make roads less safe, while 11% said they expect the cars to behave erratically.
Self-driving cars will appear in the UK from next year, when Uber and US autonomous ride hailing firm Waymo launch their first vehicles.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “There has been news of autonomous vehicles in the press for some years that has prompted a great deal of public interest but the situation will get real with tests starting on our roads next year.
“Findings show there is a high degree of nervousness around their arrival, which is very much understandable – suddenly finding yourself sharing a road with a vehicle that has no driver will be a new and unnerving experience for most motorists.
“Responding to that situation by driving more cautiously is a very human response.
“However, there is also much curiosity and notably, around four in 10 plan to drive around autonomous vehicles in exactly the same way as they would any other, and one in five believe they will get used to them quickly.
“A significant minority have an open mind about this kind of technology.”
