UK consumers don’t fully trust driverless taxis but would still use them
Commercial rollout of driverless taxis are edging closer in the UK. New research from The Harris Poll UK, A Stagwell Company, reveals a striking gap between consumers’ stated willingness to use driverless taxis and their comfort with relinquishing control to technology.
The study, conducted among 1,000 UK adults, finds that while interest in fully driverless taxis exists (particularly in urban environments) concerns around safety, trust, and the loss of human presence remain widespread.
The Harris Poll UK’s proprietary metric: the Autonomous Acceptance Gap (AAG) has captured this disconnect.
Key Findings
1. Adoption potential exists but with clear limits
Four in ten UK adults (40%) say they would be likely to consider using a fully driverless taxi in a city or large urban area, compared with 35% who say the same in smaller towns or rural areas
Depth of enthusiasm is lower outside cities: only 18% of urban respondents say they would be very likely to use a driverless taxi, falling to 13% in non-urban areas. This highlighting a clear urban–rural divide
2. Willingness exceeds comfort
Across the UK public, overall likelihood to use a driverless taxi consistently outpaces emotional comfort with autonomy and reduced human contact
This imbalance creates a measurable Autonomous Acceptance Gap, showing that many consumers are prepared to try autonomous taxis before they fully trust them
3. Safety perceptions remain a major barrier
49% believe driverless taxis would be less safe, while 28% think they would be slightly safer than human-driven taxis
Overall, 70% express safety concerns, with 44% specifically citing fears around cybersecurity and hacking
Consumers also raise questions about accidents and liability: 69% want access to human assistance, and 59% are uncertain about who would be responsible in an incident
4. Human presence still matters
81% of respondents say a human driver is important when using taxis
Concern over loss of human interaction is especially high among older adults, women, and non-urban users, reflecting the ongoing psychological role of human drivers
5. Perceived benefits are emerging
Alongside these concerns, consumers are beginning to recognise potential benefits of driverless taxis:
37% cite reduced awkward or unwanted interactions with drivers as a positive
32% associate driverless taxis with fewer human errors and more consistent driving
50% expect lower fares, linked to assumptions around increased availability and the absence of “out-of-hours” charges for early morning and late-night travel (43%)
22% recognise increased mobility for people who are unable to drive themselves
What is the Autonomous Acceptance Gap (AAG)?
The AAG measures the difference between what consumers say they would do and how emotionally comfortable they feel with autonomous systems.
It’s a derived KPI using the following inputs:
Likelihood to use a fully driverless taxi in urban settings (0–100 scale)
Attitudes toward autonomy and reduced human contact (0–100 scale)
AAG = Likelihood to Use – Autonomy Attitude
Segments have been defined with the following thresholds:
AAG > +20: Pragmatic Adopters
AAG >=10: Aligned Attitudes
AAG < –20: Autonomy Sceptics
The Three UK Consumer Segments
Segment 1: Pragmatic Adopters (31%)
This represents early trial potential, but adoption is conditional on experience and reassurance:
Consumer willingness to use autonomous taxis significantly exceeds their emotional comfort
Over-index among under-45s
More likely to be male
Strongly skewed to urban usage
Segment 2: Aligned Attitudes (42%)
This segment represents the most stable long-term adoption base:
Consumers whose behavioural intent and emotional comfort with autonomy are closely matched
Skews to aged 35–54
Even gender distribution
Segment 3: Autonomy Sceptics (28%)
Resistance in this group is driven by emotional safety concerns, rather than lack of awareness:
Consumers whose discomfort with autonomy outweighs their willingness to use driverless taxis
Over-index among 55+
More likely to be female
Sarah Beams, Managing Director, The Harris Poll UK, said:
“Our Autonomous Acceptance Gap shows that many consumers are willing to try autonomous taxis before they fully trust them. At first glance, you might assume that driverless taxis will either take off or fail based on technological readiness. But the real battleground for adoption lies in emotional readiness. Focusing solely on functionality and efficiency won’t be enough. Messaging must address emotional barriers, especially around safety, trust and access to human support.”
Implications for Industry and Policymakers
Early uptake will be driven by urban, pragmatic users, not universal enthusiasm.
Long-term success depends on closing the emotional trust gap, not just expanding availability.
Messaging focused solely on efficiency risks alienating safety-conscious groups.
-ENDS-
For more information, see our latest blog on this topic or contact us.
Methodology: This was an online survey of 1,000 UK adults and it was conducted on 30th January 2026.
About The Harris Poll UK: The Harris Poll UK, a Stagwell company, is a leading customer experience and consumer insights company helping Britain's best-known companies understand what matters most to their customers. Combining sector expertise with digital research tools, behavioural science, and agile methods, The Harris Poll UK delivers real-time insights from over one million survey responses and 40,000 emotion data points each month.