Search Results (4)

The risk of serious crashes is notably higher among young and novice drivers. This increased risk is due to several factors, including a lack of recognition of dangerous situations, an overestimation of driving skills, and vulnerability to peer pressure. Recently, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have been integrated into vehicles to help mitigate crashes linked to these factors. While numerous studies have examined ADAS broadly, few have specifically investigated its effects on young and novice drivers. This study aimed to address that gap by exploring ADAS’s impact on these drivers. Most studies in this review conclude that ADAS is beneficial for young and novice drivers, though some research suggests its impact may be limited or even negligible. Tailoring ADAS to address the unique needs of young drivers could enhance both the system’s acceptance and reliability. The review also found that unimodal warnings (e.g., auditory or visual) are as effective as multimodal warnings. Of the different types of warnings, auditory and visual signals proved the most effective. Additionally, ADAS can influence young drivers’ car-following behavior; for instance, drivers may maintain greater safety buffers or drive closely to avoid alarm triggers, likely due to perceived system unreliability. Aggressive drivers tend to benefit most from active ADAS, which actively intervenes to assist the driver. Future research could explore the combined effects of multiple ADAS functions within a single vehicle on young and novice drivers to better understand how these systems interact and impact driver behavior. Full article

The adoption of autonomous demand-responsive transit (ADRT) to support regular public transport has the potential to enhance sustainable mobility. There is a dearth of research on the socio-demographic characteristics associated with perceived opportunities and challenges regarding ADRT adoption in Australia. In this research, we fill this knowledge gap by determining socio-demographic predictors of perceptions and attitudes towards ADRT, specifically autonomous shuttle buses (ASBs), among adult residents of South East Queensland. This study incorporates a review of prior global studies, a stated preference survey distributed across the case study region, and descriptive and logistic regression analysis. We found that the main perceived opportunity of ASBs is reduced congestion/emissions, while the primary anticipated challenge relates to unreliable technology. Fully employed respondents are likely to be more familiar with autonomous vehicles. Females and those from lower-income households are less likely to have ridden in an autonomous vehicle. Males, those who are younger, have high employment, hail from higher-income households, and with no driver’s licence are all more favourable towards ASBs. Males, those with high employment, and without driver’s licence are likely to be more concerned about traffic accidents when using ASBs. Less-educated respondents and those living in peri-urban areas are likely to be more concerned about fares. Insights are drawn from the current study to inform policymakers to consider key challenges (e.g., trust issues) and target groups (particularly females) in planning public communication strategies to enhance receptiveness to ADRT. Full article

The capability of ‘demand-responsive transport’, particularly in autonomous shared form, to better facilitate road-based mobility is considered a significant advantage because improved mobility leads to enhanced quality of life and wellbeing. A central point in implementing a demand-responsive transit system in a new area is adapting the operational concept to the respective structural and socioeconomic conditions. This requires an extensive analysis of the users’ needs. There is presently limited understanding of public perceptions and attitudes toward the adoption of autonomous demand-responsive transport. To address this gap, a theory-based conceptual framework is proposed to provide detailed empirical insights into the public’s adoption intention of ‘autonomous shuttle buses’ as a form of autonomous demand-responsive transport. South East Queensland, Australia, was selected as the testbed. In this case study, relationships between perceptions, attitudes, and usage intention were examined by employing a partial least squares structural equation modeling method. The results support the basic technology acceptance model casual relationships that correspond with previous studies. Although the direct effects of perceived relative advantages and perceived service quality on usage intention are not significant, they could still affect usage intention indirectly through the attitude factor. Conversely, perceived risks are shown to have no association with perceived usefulness but can negatively impact travelers’ attitudes and usage intention toward autonomous shuttle buses. The research findings provide implications to assist policymakers, transport planners, and engineers in their policy decisions and system plans as well as achieving higher public acknowledgment and wider uptake of autonomous demand-responsive transport technology solutions. Full article

Fully autonomous vehicles (AV) would potentially be one of the most disruptive technologies of our time. The extent of the prospective benefits of AVs is strongly linked to how widely they will be accepted and adopted. Monitoring and tracking of individuals’ reactions and intentions to use AVs are critical. The current study aims to explore and classify individual predictors (i.e., influential factors or determinants) of public acceptance of, and intention to use AVs, by conducting a systematic literature review and developing a conceptual framework to map out the individual influential factors that shape public attitudes towards AVs, which influence user acceptance and adoption preferences. This framework contains the key factors identified in the systematic review—i.e., demographic, psychological, and mobility behavior characteristics. The findings of the review disclose that public perceptions and adoption intentions vary significantly among different socio-demographic cohorts. Commuters value different aspects concerning AVs, which shape their intentions on acceptance and adoption. Thus, direct experience with AVs along with education and communication would be helpful to change people’s attitudes towards AVs in a positive way. The study informs urban and transport policymakers, managers, and planners, and helps in planning for a healthy AV adoption process with minimal societal disruption. Full article