USPS IG – Public Perception of Drone Delivery in the United States Report Number RARC-WP-17-001

“If the U.S. Postal Service intends to consider the option of incorporating drones into its operations, tracking the public’s rapidly evolving perception of this new mode of delivery will be essential to shaping the groundwork of the Postal Service’s strategy. Though it will still take a few years for the technology to mature and the regulatory framework to emerge, proactively examining the concept could allow the Postal Service to better assess its operational feasibility, fundamental economics, regulatory compliance, and social implications. In order to understand the current state of public opinion on drone delivery, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) administered an online survey targeting a nationally representative sample of 18-75 year-old residents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in June 2016. Topics covered by the survey included the overall appeal of drone technology, its most and least interesting applications, the believability of claims about its potential benefits, the public’s expected timeframe for implementation, potential concerns, and how the public would view drone delivery if it were offered by five prominent players in the logistics and technology fields. The survey methodology and results were developed and executed internally by OIG. External review was then provided by an expert on survey research methodologies.”