Discovering the determinants of (dis)trust in autonomous vehicles

There is a growing optimism around the implications of increasing vehicle automation. However, public trust in autonomous vehicles (AVs) remains comparatively low. For the potentially far-reaching benefits of vehicle automation to be realized, it is necessary to implement measures that would encourage public engagement in AVs. To facilitate identification of the trust-enhancing measures that would be most effective, a content analysis of recently published peer-reviewed literature was conducted. Among the 43 empirical research papers addressing trust in AVs, automation, and trust more generally, factors underpinning trust and distrust were ascertained. Greater familiarity was found to promote trust in AVs, as was greater transparency and benevolence. The findings suggest that increased public exposure to AVs will precipitate greater public engagement with vehicle automation by providing means for consumer to develop more accurate mental models of AVs’ capabilities and limitations