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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A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
