Gallup: Most Americans not ready to own, lease driverless cars

April 28 (UPI) -- While about one-third of Americans expect driverless cars to be common within five years, about 19% say they would own or lease one, a Gallup poll released Tuesday showed.

The findings are from a Gallup poll conducted Oct. 1 through 16.

The 31% who expect driverless cars to be common is far ahead of the same question asked in 2018, when it was at 19%.

Another 34% expect societal adoption within six to 10 years, Gallop said, meaning that almost two-thirds of Americans expect them to be common within a decade.

Those who view driverless vehicles as the safest option dropped from 18% in 2018 to 13% now. About 10% of adults report ever having ridden in a driverless car.

Driverless taxis like Waymo are showing up in large cities. Waymo is in Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Phoenix, Atlanta and Austin, Texas. The company has 10 other cities targeted for service expansion in 2026. It's also testing in eight other markets for possible future expansion.

But Americans generally aren't on board with owning or leasing a driverless vehicle. About 19% said they would want one if they were available in the next 20 years. That number is the same as it was in 2018.

Most people -- 73% -- said they would prefer to own a vehicle that they drive, which is near the 75% who said the same in 2018.

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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 1:02 PM.