Texans support the idea of self-driving vehicles, but want stronger safety standards and accountability from the companies that put them on the road, according to a new poll.
The poll by Safe Autonomous Vehicles Everywhere in the United States, shows that while a vast majority of people in Austin, Dallas and Houston know about autonomous vehicles, most do not believe they are safe. Of those polled, 36% in Austin consider the vehicles safe. That number drops to 25% in Dallas and 22% in Houston.
When asked, 80-83% of those polled support requiring autonomous vehicle companies to report all collisions to government agencies, while 72-79% support mandatory fines for those companies when autonomous vehicle technology malfunctions.
A majority of those polled said they believe that manufacturers should bear some responsibility for crashes involving driver-assistance systems.
The poll also asked about Tesla's Robotaxi service. Around 80% of those polled said they were concerned about Tesla's safety performance. SAVE-US said the service has been involved in at least 14 reported crashes over 800,000 miles of operation.
Those polled also said Tesla's authorization to operate Robotaxi should be revoked until it can show the program is safe. The biggest opposition came from those polled in Austin, where 73% said Tesla should not operate Robotaxi. That number was less in Dallas (60%) and Houston (65%).
Under Senate Bill 2807, passed in 2025, automated vehicles must receive authorization from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles before putting those vehicles into service.
TxDMV allows companies to self-certify the requirements for operation and provide a written statement that the vehicles are:
- Capable of operating in compliance with applicable traffic and motor vehicle laws of this state;
- Equipped with a required recording device;
- Equipped with an automated driving system in compliance with applicable federal law;
- Capable of achieving a minimal risk condition if a failure of the automated driving system occurs that renders the system unable to perform;
- Registered and titled in accordance with the laws of this state; and
- Covered by motor vehicle liability coverage or self-insurance in an amount equal to or greater than the amount of coverage that is required under the laws of this state or federal law, as applicable to the type and use of the vehicle.
The backstory:
Autonomous driving services are already operating in major Texas cities. Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio are all serviced by the driverless ride-share company Waymo.
In Austin, the service has received dozens of complaints about vehicles stalling, speeding and crashing.
There have also been complaints of vehicles illegally passing school buses.
In March, Swedish company Einride announced plans to bring autonomous freight trucks to Central Texas.
The Source: Information in this article comes from a poll conducted by SAVE-US, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and previous FOX Local reporting.