Exploring the Road Users' Receptivity to Share Roads with Highly Automated Vehicles

Even though the automation system has great potential in future, it still remains unknown to what extent people can accept and trust on the system, and how long it will take them to adapt to the new technology. Many studies have investigated the acceptance of advanced vehicle technologies from the user or buyer perspective. Although public opinion regarding using AV technologies is important for the implementation of this new technology, when it is introduced into the market, it will interact with a large number of non-AV road users.

The key focus of this study was to investigate non-AV users’ receptivity and behavior adaptions towards road sharing with AVs, and potential factors that may influence the receptivity level. This project aimed to address three research questions:

1. What are the receptivity levels of pedestrians, cyclists and non-automated vehicle users towards road sharing with highly automated vehicles?
2. How will road users perceive and interact with automated vehicles on the road?
3. What are the factors that influence the users’ receptivity level and their decision-making on the road?

A questionnaire survey was designed based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). A variety of scenarios depicting non-AV users interacting with AV were designed in the survey. Both Australian (n-1242) and Chinese (n-1000) participants were recruited in this study. Findings of the study are expected to facilitate the development and implementation of Automated Vehicles so that they can interact better with other road users.