Following the London launch of a fully autonomous SUV this January, Go.Compare Car Insurance has conducted new research revealing how the nation feels about riding in a driverless taxi – and not everyone is excited at the prospect.

In January, fully autonomous Jaguar I‑Pace SUVs started operating in London as part of a new government-backed pilot scheme to accelerate the launch of driverless tech in the country. And with Uber said to be joining the scheme this spring, 2026 is the year that driverless taxis could become a reality on our roads.

However, new research from Go.Compare car insurance suggests that Brits have a number of concerns. 2000 adults took part in the survey, which asked for their thoughts on driverless taxis, and found that:

• 46% of those who took part said they would not feel safe using a driverless Uber
• A further 38% would be worried about the car malfunctioning or locking them in
• 32% said they wouldn’t use a driverless Uber because they don’t want human drivers to be replaced

Meanwhile, 12% of people said they’re excited to use a driverless taxi, and just 6% of people have no safety concerns at all.

The research also revealed that there’s a big gender difference when it comes to opinions on driverless taxis, with over half (54%) of women saying they wouldn’t feel safe using an autonomous Uber compared to 39% of men, and 43% of women saying they’re worried about the car malfunctioning or being locked in, compared to 32% of men.

Tom Banks, spokesperson for GoCompare Car Insurance, said on the research:

“The launch of driverless taxis on our roads is an exciting step, and could promise a new era of innovation, but our data shows that many of us are still hesitant about embracing the technology.

“Ultimately, what our data shows is that as well as needing driverless cars to be road-ready and extensively tested, there needs to be more education around people’s safety concerns to help build confidence in autonomous vehicles.

“With such a big change on the horizon, it’s natural that people will have questions and concerns. Ultimately, it’s not a change that will happen overnight – and we hope to hear much more in the coming months about how and when we’re likely to see driverless taxis taking off.”

(Picture: Olga Gonzalez))