Consumer Acceptance, Trust, and Future Use of Self-Driving Vehicles
Author(s):
J. Zmud, I.N. Sener
Publication Date:
August 2019
Abstract:
Self-driving vehicles bring the promise of safer streets, reduced congestion, enhanced traffic flow, and greater mobility inclusion. However, more information is needed to fully assess how self-driving vehicles will impact drivers, the economy, equity, the environment, and the overarching concern: safety.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 1,400 self-driving cars, trucks, and other vehicles are currently in testing by more than 80 companies across 36 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (Etherington, 2019). Thus far, single-occupancy vehicles (traditional cars) are the prevailing mechanism for autonomous technology experimentation, although several cities are testing low-speed shuttles. Cities can derive educational value from the pilots, including information on the specific nature of the technology, its capabilities, operating challenges, and how the city's own typography impacts performance. Pilot cities get advanced knowledge of and better insight into the public's willingness to accept a self-driving vehicle presence and, in turn, can use their pilots to educate the public.
Seeking such benefits, in July 2018, Frisco, Texas, became the first city to pilot-test a self-driving shuttle service on public roads in Texas. The service, launched by Drive.ai, provided rides to employees and residents of HALL Park, a large office campus in Frisco. Travelers requested a free ride using a Drive.ai app, the vans would pick them up, and then drive them a short distance to nearby shops and restaurants. This pilot testing period operated for eight months and served nearly 5,000 riders across 3,100 trips.
The timeline for when self-driving vehicles will evolve from the testing phase to become readily accessible to consumers is highly uncertain. Automotive manufacturers and suppliers are making significant investments in hardware and software capabilities as well as in testing and piloting vehicles. Yet, many industry analysts suggest that it could take a decade or more to address the many technology, public perception, legal, and regulatory challenges.
Researchers at TTI have been monitoring and tracking these issues for the past 5 years. They have documented the significant influence of demographic factors such as age and having a mobility impairment; attitudinal factors such as data privacy concerns; and behavioral factors such as being an early adopter of technology in general, among others. The Frisco pilot test provided TTI researchers with the opportunity to examine the influence of riding in an autonomous vehicle on people's acceptance, trust, and future use.
Electronic Link(s):
Document/Product
http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/TTI-2019-3.pdf
Related Resource(s)
- Consumer Acceptance, Trust, and Future Use of Self-Driving Vehicles: Brief
http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/TTI-2019-3-brief.pdf
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