A comparison of the views of experts and the public on automated vehicles technologies and societal implications

Automated vehicles (AVs) are seen as a gateway to safer and more accessible mobility, while others see AVs as unrealistic and dangerous. Public perception of AVs is not always in line with experts' views on issues relating to technology and public safety. To explore how the views of the public and experts compare, two qualitative studies were conducted with the aim of understanding attitudes, opinions, and expertise on a variety of matters relating to emerging AV technology and its societal impacts. Interviews were conducted with 11 AV experts from a variety of fields of expertise including optometry, engineering, computer science and psychology. Additionally, eight focus groups were held with 34 members of the public to discuss their opinions about AV technologies. Views from the public and experts were divided into 12 themes, with three categories (positive, mixed, and negative feelings towards AVs). The five themes under the positive category included topics of the danger of conventional vehicles, inclusive mobility, the use of time and space, familiarisation with AVs, and safety benefits. The two themes under the mixed feelings categories were, concerns about trust and the legal challenges. The five themes under the negative category were, the technological challenges, the complexity of monitoring, mixed-fleet danger, skills atrophy, and cybersecurity. The results showed that both the experts and public participants were enthusiastic about AVs, with a minority from both groups sceptical about this emerging technology. Insights from this research can be used to help inform 1) how the law can be adapted to AVs and 2) areas that can be focused on to alleviate the public's concerns around AVs