Trump has privately voiced skepticism about driverless cars: report

President Trump has reportedly expressed skepticism on more than one occasion about the move toward self-driving cars.

Axios, citing four sources who’ve heard him discuss the subject, reported on Sunday that Trump doesn’t see the usefulness of autonomous vehicles. He has also reportedly said that he would never let a computer-operated car drive him. 

“He’s definitely an automated car skeptic,” one source told Axios. 

Trump’s concerns about autonomous vehicles are not unusual. A survey of Americans released last week by AAA found that 71 percent of respondents are afraid of riding in a driverless car.{mosads}

The Axios report also says that Trump has acted out scenes of what are supposed to be frenetic autonomous vehicles to make his point that they don’t make sense. He has reportedly acted out these scenes on Air Force One and in the White House. 

“You know when he’s telling a story, and he does the hand motions,” one source told Axios. “He says, ‘Can you imagine, you’re sitting in the back seat and all of a sudden this car is zig-zagging around the corner and you can’t stop the f—ing thing?’ “

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill. 

Despite Trump’s opposition to self-driving cars, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has been championing the move toward new transportation technology.

Chao said last week at the South by Southwest conference that a new regulatory body would commence as a way to quicken moves toward technology such as self driving cars, according to Axios. 

The news outlet notes that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also said it will seek the public’s input on whether existing motor vehicle statutes should be altered to allow for cars with no steering wheel, pedals or gear shifts. 

No federal regulations exist in regard to autonomous vehicles at the moment. But issues related to them will likely come up in Congress this year, according to Axios.