Where are we on the path to self-driving vehicles? Find out at the Cincinnati Auto Expo.

The Cincinnati Auto Expo is known for its display of luxury vehicles, but you won't need to test drive anything luxurious to get a taste of the latest in semi-autonomous features.

Not anymore, anyway.

Semi-autonomous features such as automatic cruise control, rear cameras and lane changing technology – previously reserved for luxury line automobiles – have become mainstream in a matter of about five years, according to Charlie Howard, executive vice president of Greater Cincinnati Automobile Dealers Association.

Howard said the industry is inching towards autonomous vehicles, or self-driving cars, feature by feature.

"What you're just seeing more and more and more is that technology, you know, trickling through the various vehicles at all different price points," he said.

Some of the features trigger your seat or steering wheel to vibrate when you back up too close to an obstacle, or when your car begins to veer outside of its lane. Some of the vehicles include cell phone hookups and even hotspots for internet connectivity.

"The car has become a technology extension of the home and the office," Howard said. "It's pretty amazing."

The levels of autonomy

There are five levels of vehicle autonomy, according to the Society of Automotive Engineers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a publication explaining all six levels (0-5, with zero as no automation) on their website. The department predicts we will reach level five and enter a new era of automobile safety – including vehicles with fully automated safety features and highway autopilot – by 2025.

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According to Howard, level five will allow drivers to essentially "crawl in the back seat of the car and play on your iPad."

"We're nowhere near five, okay?" Howard said. "Not even close to five. And it's probably going to be a long time. I would describe the features that we have now as semi-autonomous."

And it looks like "nowhere near five" is where most consumers want to be.

A J.D. Power Mobility Confidence Index Study fueled by SurveyMonkey and released Jan. 23 stated the index was at a 36 (out of 100) in consumer confidence for self-driving vehicles.

Deloitte's global study in 2019 showed that the percentage of consumers who agree that fully self-driving cars will not be safe has decreased by 25 percent in the last two years, yet remains at 47 percent total.

"Generally speaking, people aren't quite ready to hand the keys to the car, yet," Howard observed.

But the semi-autonomous features that are available now are helpful, he said. Howard said these features are there to aide drivers, not drive for them. Instead of taking full control, the car will warn you when another vehicle enters your blind spot and remind you to slow down when necessary. 

Do your homework, Howard said, and try the features out at the Cincinnati Auto Expo. You never know what cars or features you'll end up appreciating most.

"I know I appreciate mine," Howard said. "And, you know, every once in a while when, when somebody stops abruptly in front of you and the car flashes a light and makes a noise and lets you know that it's time to slow down now, uhm, yeah, it's probably helped to avoid a fender bender along the way, no question about that."

2020 Cincinnati Auto Expo Information

Howard said the Cincinnati Auto Expo is the best opportunity to see what's new and happening in the automobile industry. 

The expo will take place from Feb. 5-9 at the Cincinnati Convention Center and will feature kid-friendly entertainment, goodie bags, a scavenger hunt, a remote control car giveaway, a towable RV campsite, an offroading vehicle display, a Wednesday night party with proceeds going to Cincinnati Children's Hospital and a tailgating venue.

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