It takes two to Tango: Automated vehicles and human beings do the dance of driving – Four social considerations for policy

Abstract

Automated vehicle (AV) policy development and assessment is a difficult and complicated process. Today’s road and vehicle policies are the product of a hundred years of lessons learned. They generally address five areas: safety, efficiency, mobility, convenience, and impact on the environment. Now the prospect-turned-reality of automated vehicles entering public roadways has opened up a number of new policy-related questions. Is it enough to simply modify current road and vehicle policies or will new policies need to be developed addressing much broader aspects of the transportation system? How can these policies be developed to accommodate technologies that either do not yet exist or are only now being tested on the road in constrained environments? Perhaps most importantly, how can policy influence technological design to safely operate with other road users and can we look ahead to have a better view of potential unintended consequences?This paper provides policymakers with research-based information as they address these and other questions. A metaphor is used where two people on the dancefloor both know a complicated dance. They play off real-time feedback including emotions, tempo, and others on the floor to plan, execute, and modify their moves to complete the performance. It provides insight to some of the social considerations that should be considered as future AV policy is developed. Insights into the direction of current policy are identified and the relationship to the social nature of AV users and non-users are provided. A use case scenario of a driverless shuttle vehicle operating in a campus-type setting is used to elucidate important considerations and underscore the dynamic nature of the social transportation system. Both simulation and field testing provide insight into the problems that affect both users and non-users. Issues are identified that may not yet have been considered by policymakers. An imagined future where AVs seamlessly integrate into our existing transportation system and current driving culture may be erroneous. Considerations for policy include standardizing situations, mechanisms for communication with other road users, and passenger mediation for other road user communication with AVs.