Ready to bully automated vehicles on public roads?

Area of Science:

• Human-computer interaction
• Traffic safety research
• Automated vehicle technology

Background:

• Automated vehicles (AVs) are increasingly present on roads, with expectations of enhanced traffic safety.
• Incidents of human drivers bullying AVs have been observed, raising concerns about future prevalence.
• The potential for aggressive driver behavior towards AVs could impede their widespread adoption and safety benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate drivers' intentions to engage in aggressive behaviors towards automated vehicles (AVs).
• To compare bullying intentions towards AVs versus human drivers across different cultural contexts.
• To identify demographic factors influencing aggressive driving intentions towards AVs.

Main Methods:

• A cross-national online survey was conducted with 998 drivers in China and South Korea.
• An eleven-item questionnaire was developed to assess bullying intentions towards machine drivers (AVs) and human drivers.
• Statistical analyses were performed to compare intentions, explore correlations, and examine demographic influences.

Main Results:

• Participants exhibited a greater intention to bully machine drivers (AVs) than human drivers.
• Chinese participants reported a higher intention for aggressive driving compared to Korean participants.
• Attitudes towards AVs and risk-benefit perceptions showed weak correlations with bullying intentions.
• Male and younger drivers reported significantly higher intentions for aggressive driving towards AVs.

Conclusions:

• Aggressive driving behaviors towards automated vehicles (AVs) may become prevalent in the future.
• Such behaviors pose a significant risk to traffic safety and could hinder the successful implementation of AV technology.
• Understanding and mitigating aggressive driving towards AVs is crucial for realizing their potential benefits.