Perceptions and expectations of autonomous vehicles – A snapshot of vulnerable road user opinion

Abstract Public perceptions play a crucial role in wider adoption of autonomous vehicles (AVs). This paper aims to make two contributions to the understanding of public attitudes toward AVs. First, we explore opinions regarding the perceived benefits and challenges of AVs among vulnerable road users – in particular, pedestrians and bicyclists. Second, the paper evaluated whether interaction experiences with AVs influence perceptions among vulnerable road users. To explore this, we examined survey data collected by Bike PGH, a Pittsburgh based organization involved in programs to promote safe mobility options for road users. Analysis of the data revealed that respondents with direct experience interacting with AVs reported significantly higher expectations of the safety benefits of the transition to AVs than respondents with no AV interaction experience. This finding did not differ across pedestrian and bicyclist respondents. The results of this study indicate that as the public increasingly interacts with AVs, their attitudes toward the technology are more likely to be positive. Thus, this study recommends that policy makers should provide the opportunities for the public to have interaction experience with AVs. The opportunities can be provided through legislation that allows auto manufacturers and technology industries to operate and test AVs on public roads. This interactive experience will positively affect people's perceptions and help in wider adoption of AV technology.

[1]  Klaus Bengler,et al.  Trust in Automation – Before and After the Experience of Take-over Scenarios in a Highly Automated Vehicle☆ , 2015 .

[2]  Kara M. Kockelman,et al.  Dynamic ride-sharing and fleet sizing for a system of shared autonomous vehicles in Austin, Texas , 2018 .

[3]  Stephen A. Matthews,et al.  Predicting discordance between perceived and estimated walk and bike times among university faculty, staff, and students , 2018 .

[4]  Nicholas F. Maxemchuk,et al.  Highway Capacity Benefits from Using Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication and Sensors for Collision Avoidance , 2011, 2011 IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC Fall).

[5]  Klaus Henning,et al.  The "cognitive car": A roadmap for research issues in the automotive sector , 2006, Annu. Rev. Control..

[6]  D. Begg.  A 2050 vision for London: what are the implications of driverless transport? , 2014 .

[7]  Jean-Paul Skeete.  Level 5 autonomy: The new face of disruption in road transport , 2018, Technological Forecasting and Social Change.

[8]  Michael Sivak,et al.  A Survey of Public Opinion about Autonomous and Self-Driving Vehicles in the U.S., the U.K., and Australia , 2014 .

[9]  Isabell M. Welpe,et al.  Not fearless, but self-enhanced: The effects of anxiety on the willingness to use autonomous cars depend on individual levels of self-enhancement , 2017 .

[10]  Todd Litman,et al.  Autonomous Vehicle Implementation Predictions: Implications for Transport Planning , 2015 .

[11]  B. Hayes,et al.  Leave the Driving to It , 2011 .

[12]  William Payre,et al.  Intention to use a fully automated car: attitudes and a priori acceptability , 2014 .

[13]  Bryan Reimer,et al.  Driver Assistance Systems and the Transition to Automated Vehicles: A Path to Increase Older Adult Safety and Mobility? , 2014 .

[14]  Isabell M. Welpe,et al.  How and why do men and women differ in their willingness to use automated cars? The influence of emotions across different age groups , 2016 .

[15]  Timothy D. Wilson,et al.  Affective Forecasting , 2005 .

[16]  Steven E Shladover,et al.  Impacts of Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control on Freeway Traffic Flow , 2012 .

[17]  Ellen Enkel,et al.  Applied artificial intelligence and trust—The case of autonomous vehicles and medical assistance devices , 2016 .

[18]  K. Kockelman,et al.  Forecasting Americans' Long-Term Adoption of Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Technologies , 2016 .

[19]  Edwin R. Galea,et al.  Perceptions of autonomous vehicles: Relationships with road users, risk, gender and age , 2018 .

[20]  Brian Smith,et al.  Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess pedestrian receptivity toward fully autonomous vehicles , 2017 .

[21]  Riender Happee,et al.  Public opinion on automated driving: results of an international questionnaire among 5000 respondents , 2015 .