Lack of Control

Abstract: We examined whether people with a fear of flying might be more likely to develop a fear of riding in fully automated vehicles, given that passengers in both situations lack control. In a representative sample of adult Finns, 44.5% reported a fear of flying, whereas 88.2% feared riding in fully automated vehicles. The correlation between these fears was positive ( r = .246) and somewhat lower (partial r = .205) after controlling for a locus-of-control measure and the fear of losing control. Although it seems unlikely that a large proportion of people who might develop a fear of riding in automated cars would comprise those who are currently afraid of flying, many of those with the strongest fear of flying might indeed develop such a fear.