Self-driving cars still need to earn the public's trust

Ford CEO Jim Hackett made a surprising public admission earlier this month: He's not yet comfortable with the self-driving car technology his company or any other company has built.

"The trust isn't real high," he told an audience in Michigan after asking if they'd take a ride in a driverless car that morning if given the chance. "I wouldn't yet, either."

Hackett's comments highlight one of biggest challenges for automakers and tech companies working to develop autonomous vehicles: Convincing the public driverless cars are safe.

A recent AAA survey found that over three-quarters of respondents admitted to being afraid of riding in a self-driving car, and only 10 percent said they'd feel safer with driverless vehicles on the road. With highly publicized incidents like Tesla's fatal Autopilot accident and Uber's self-driving trial fail, those fears shouldn't come as a big surprise. Read more...