Tech terms

Blockchain: Originally created for the digital currency bitcoin, the technology has since found many other uses. Records are stored on a decentralized public ledger that allows information to be easily verifiable.

Artificial intelligence: Machines programmed to mimic human behavior such as problem solving and learning.

Internet of things: Connecting vehicles, home appliances and other devices to the internet.

pedestrian death caused by autonomous technology, prompting Uber to suspend testing in other cities.

“Our results show that any incident involving an autonomous vehicle is likely to shake consumer trust, which is a critical component

DRIVERLESS

to the widespread acceptance of autonomous vehicles,” said Greg Brannon, AAA’S director of automotive engineering and industry relations.

AAA said it supports the “unbiased testing” of emerging technologiestomakedrivingsafer,including the use of autonomous vehicles that rely on lasers, radar and camera sensors.

Gov. Brian Sandoval declared two years ago that Nevada would be a leader in promoting the driverless-car industry by refining laws to allow for testing.

Ever since autonomous vehicle testing was allowed in 2012, Nevada has required licensees to report crashes and citations within 10 days, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

A Navya Arma autonomous shuttlewasstruckbyanothervehicle on Sixth Street near Fremont Street in November on the same day it debuted in downtown Las Vegas as part of a yearlong test by Keolis North America and AAA.

More than 23,000 people have boarded AAA’S downtown shuttle, with roughly 30 percent reporting a “positive sentiment” about driverless vehicles after taking the free ride, AAA Nevada spokesman John Moreno said.

“Consumer education is a key

part of this effort, because people sometimesfearwhattheydon’tunderstand,” Moreno said. “It’s always better to show rather than tell.”

Other key findings in the AAA survey:

About 20 percent of drivers would trust a self-driving vehicle, while7percentwereunsure.

At 83 percent, women said they were too afraid to ride in an autonomous vehicle, compared with 63 percent of men.

Roughly 64 percent of millennial drivers — those who traditionallywerethequickesttoembrace automated technology — said theywouldbetooafraidtoridein a self-driving vehicle, up from 49 percent of those polled in AAA’S January study.