Most Parents Would Trust A Self-Driving Car More Than a Stranger, Ford Finds in Trend Report
*By Amanda Weston*
If forced to choose between putting their child in driverless car or in a vehicle driven by a stranger, the majority of parents, Ford reports, would prefer a non-human to take the wheel.
"When we talk about trust, that's somewhere where we see something really jumping out at us," Sheryl Connelly, futurist at Ford ($F), told Cheddar Monday. "67 percent of the people we spoke to in our survey said they would rather their child ride in a self-driving vehicle than be in a vehicle with a stranger. And I think that's really powerful."
That statistic is just one of many compiled in the seventh annual Further With Ford [trend report](https://social.ford.com/en_US/ford-community/ford-trends.html?fmccmp=link-fordtrends-home-none-fs-top-none-170615).
The report amassed the opinions of survey respondents from around the world. The report shows that 43 percent of adults in the U.S. believe self-driving cars will drive more safely than humans at the wheel.
Another part of the global survey looked at generational perspectives on the new technology: 72 percent of millennials said one of the biggest benefits of self-driving tech is the luxury of having more free time, compared to just 51 percent of baby boomers. Gen X and Gen Z came in at 64 percent and 71 percent, respectively.
With self-driving at the forefront, Ford may already be building a solid reputation. Connelly said research shows if a group of self-driving cars pulled up to the curb, most people would choose the Ford model.
"We think that has a lot to do with our legacy of trust and transparency," Connelly said.
**Here are some of the other takeaways from the report:**
* 87 percent of American adults think that technology is the biggest driver of today’s change.
* 44 percent of women and 37 percent of men are afraid of Artificial Intelligence technology.
* 42 percent of millennials and 43 percent of Gen Z believe that their phone/device knows more about them than their family.
* More than 75 percent of adults worldwide think that companies don’t do enough to accommodate the needs of working parents.
* 84 percent of adults agree companies should offer mental health days as part of their benefits.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/ford-compiles-latest-trends-in-work-life-self-driving-car-trust-and-more).
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