Abstract
Older adults (> 65 years) account for 20% of the US population but are over-represented in multiple-vehicle crashes. Automated vehicles (AVs) may hold safety benefits for older drivers, if they adopt this emerging technology. Therefore, this study is using a randomized, crossover design with pre- and post-exposure surveys, to quantify older drivers’ perceptions, who were exposed to a simulator running in automated mode and riding in a highly automated shuttle (SAE Level 4). An interim analysis (N=69) compares older drivers’ perceptions before and after exposure to the automated simulator and automated shuttle. Early findings indicate that exposure to AV technology may positively affect older adults’ perceptions to this emerging technology. In this study, older drivers’ trust and perceived safety increased after being exposed to the driving simulator or automated shuttle compared to baseline. Older drivers’ perceptions of perceived usefulness and cost of AVs, increased after being exposed to both modes of vehicle automation compared to baseline whereas their perceptions did not change after their first AV exposure (regardless of it was the simulator or shuttle). Exposing older adults to an automated simulator or on-road automated shuttle may promote older adults’ acceptance and adoption of AVs.
Highlights
The number of older adults (≥65 years) is nearing 20% of the US population, and Florida is leading the nation with 25% of its population being older adults (US Census Bureau, 2020)
For the purposes of this interim analysis, we only focus on the demographic information, descriptive statistics of simulator and motion sickness, and all 11 domains from the autonomous vehicle user perception survey (AVUPS) measured with a visual analog scale
This interim analysis was conducted to quantify the perceptions of 69 older drivers, who have been exposed to “driving” the interactive high-fidelity Realtime Technologies Inc. (RTI) driving simulator and riding in the Transdev manufactured EasyMile EZ10 automated shuttle
Summary
The number of older adults (≥65 years) is nearing 20% of the US population, and Florida is leading the nation with 25% of its population being older adults (US Census Bureau, 2020). As the number of adults over 65 years of age increases in North America, strategies and countermeasures emerge as critical factors in preventing crashes involving drivers. One emerging alternative transportation strategy for older drivers who are reducing driving or can no longer drive, is the use of automated modes of transportation. Such modes may include automated ride sharing, ride hailing, or on-demand services (i.e., paratransit), that could support the mobility and independence of older adults while reducing their crash risk on the road (Robertson et al, 2019)
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