Sharing the road with autonomous vehicles: Perceived safety and regulatory preferences. (January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nair, Gopindra S.; Bhat, Chandra R.
• Is Part Of: Transportation research. Volume 122(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Subjects: Autonomous vehicles -- Driverless cars -- Safety -- Regulation -- Generalized heterogenous data model -- Digital assistants; Transportation -- Periodicals; Transportation -- Technological innovations -- Periodicals; 388.011
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trc.2020.102885
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0968-090X

Abstract

Highlights: Considers socio-demographic and affective attribute effects on AV behavioral intent. A generalized heterogeneous data model is estimated. AV awareness, interest, and safety perceptions modeled as a package bundle. Identifies interventions that can be undertaken to improve AV safety perceptions. Important need to consider affective emotions in AV design and deployment. Abstract: Technology providers, car manufacturers, and public agencies all need to work together to undertake extensive testing of fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) on public roads before such AVs are allowed to freely travel in ways similar to human-driven vehicles. This raises the importance of understanding public perceptions regarding safety considerations when traveling alongside AVs. This study makes use of a national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center to identify the affective, socio-demographic and technology-use attributes that affect an individual's perception of the safety of sharing the road with AVs (PSSRAV) and identifies measures and interventions that can be undertaken to improve PSSRAV. Additionally, we evaluate individual preferences for AV regulations. Our results underscore the importance of the need for service providers and public agencies to be cognizant of the demographic and lifestyle/affective emotion considerations shaping AV safety perceptions and opinions about AV regulations. In particular, there is a need not only to focus on technological and other infrastructure components of AV development, but also to recognize the socio-technical considerations and human-related factors of the end-users. Our findings should be of substantial interest in the planning, design, deployment, and introduction of AVs within a safe and minimally regulated public operating arena.