NZ Drivers Readiness for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Nicola Starkey and Samuel Charlton, Transport Research Group, University of Waikato 1
Future of Road Safety Improving road safety is a key objective for governments Technological developments have the potential to further improve road safety and decrease congestion Connected and autonomous (CAVs) have the potential to: Reduce the road toll Decrease road infrastructure (e.g., traffic lights) Improve safety for pedestrian and cyclists Improve accessibility and mobility 2
The road to a safer future Numerous issues to address to realise the full benefits of these technologies: Suitability of infrastructure Accessibility to rural communities Safety implications of a mixed vehicle fleet Cost Driver training Legal, ethical and policy implications And will NZ drivers want to use connected and/or autonomous vehicles? 3
The current study Aim: To explore New Zealand drivers views and attitudes to CAVs Method: Participants (n=1067; 55% female; average age 49.1 yrs; range 16-88 years) responded to an online questionnaire focusing on: Knowledge and current use of automated driving technologies Perceptions of enjoyment, safety and interest related to various levels of automation When and why they would use a fully automated vehicle Perceptions of the risks and benefits of CAVs Willingness to pay 4
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Imagine taking a trip in a car where steering was controlled by an Automatic Lane Keeping System, and speed controlled by Adaptive Cruise Control (the driver doesn't have to worry about exceeding the speed limit or maintaining distance to the car in front). Compared to a completely manual car, rate the: 1)enjoyment 2)safety 3)interest of the trip 4) likelihood of switching back to manual control from 1 (least) to 5 (most) 6
Enjoyment.. very enjoyable 5 4 3 2 1 not enjoyable M F M F M F M F Routine errands Daily commute Motorway Fully autonomous 100.0 90.0 80.0 70.0 60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 7
Safety.. Very safe 5 100.0 90.0 80.0 70.0 4 3 2 1 Very unsafe M F M F M F M F Routine errands Daily commute Motorway Fully autonomous 60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 8
Percent When would you like to use a fully automated car? 9
Percent I would be willing to allow my vehicle to send / receive data.. 10
Percent Worry about specific aspects of CAVs 11
Percent Perceived benefits of CAVs 12
Percent Why would you like to drive an autonomous vehicle? 13
Percent When would you let your vehicle drive itself? 14
Rate the degree to which an autonomous vehicle would improve your access to Great deal 5 4 3 2 1 Not at all M F M F M F Services Employment Recreation 100.0 90.0 80.0 70.0 60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 15
Rate the degree to which an autonomous vehicle would improve your access to Great deal 5 4 3 2 1 Not at all Disability No disability Disability No disability Disability No disability Services Employment Recreation 100.0 90.0 80.0 70.0 60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 16
Percent Willingness to pay for fully automated technology 17
Summary I Other than self driving cars, new vehicle technology is not well understood (or used) Around half of the respondents thought that using a fully autonomous vehicle would be enjoyable and safe, but also thought they would be likely to switch to manual control. Most likely to use when tired / bored / impaired but significant proportion do not want to use an autonomous vehicle Concerns around data use and safety 18
Summary II Greatest benefit was potential reduction in crashes Using an autonomous vehicle would allow people to do other things during the commute and full autonomy most likely to be used on motorway and parking Males more accepting than females Has potential to increase accessibility 19
Conclusion Long way to go to convince people of the safety and benefits (particularly women), and improve willingness to pay Education about the available technology, in particular, safety and reliability Greater information needed around conflicts with, and benefits for other road users 2016 Transport Research Group, University of Waikato. Information in this presentation is not to be re-distributed or used without attribution to the Transport Research Group, University of Waikato 20