• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, October 23, 2019

While fully autonomous cars are hardly ready for prime time, consumers are getting more comfortable with some self-driving features.

Features such as lane assist and parking assist are factors in car buying decisions for 44% of drivers, according to a new study.

The majority (51%) of drivers also want more connected car features and support so they can be less reliant on smartphones while driving, based on the Adobe Analytics study, comprising a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults who have a driver’s license and own a smartphone.

The study also included an analysis of 1 trillion visits to websites including many of the leading automotive sites.

In-car voice assistants are a significant part of the connected vehicle mix.

While more than a third (39%) of drivers with in-car voice assistants use them daily, most (61%) drivers say their car’s voice assistant woks well. One in three drivers also say a built-in voice assistant is a factor in their car buying decision.

Fewer than half (40%) of drivers are in favor of self-driving cars being available for purchase.

However, if a car drove itself, consumers have plenty of ideas on what they would do with the time. Nearly half (49%) would eat or drink, 47% have phone conversations, 42% email, 36% work and 33% read.

Consumers also are looking for information on connected cars. Since January, visits to pages with connected car information on car manufacturer sites has increased 35%, according to the study.

Cars may not yet be fully autonomous, but they are increasingly becoming much more connected.