According to a survey undertaken by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), 40 per cent of drivers would never consider using a driverless car; and a massive 65 per cent question whether or not the technology is even a good idea.

The survey comes as a result of a milestone hit by Google's driverless car; which has so far travelled over 300,000 miles without a single incident.

However, these compelling figures only convince a third of motorists that removing the human element from driving would improve safety.

A very large majority believe that technology should be focusing on making drivers safer as opposed to taking them away completely. In addition, over half of those surveyed believe that automated systems should take control in the event of an accident.

"Technology has a huge role to play in road safety, and driverless technology in every car is still many years away," comments IAM's Chief Executive, Simon Best. "In the meantime, more should be done to improve driver standards as tackle the most common human errors".

James Giddings - 21 Nov 2012