Do two-wheeler riders propel towards autonomous driving? A path-based probabilistic study in Indian context

Area of Science:

• Transportation Engineering
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Sociology of Technology

Background:

• Autonomous vehicles (AVs) offer potential mobility benefits in middle-income countries.
• Two-wheeled vehicles are prevalent for short trips in urban and suburban areas.
• Adoption of AV technology, especially four-wheeled, remains a complex issue in densely populated regions like India.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the perceived risks of four-wheeled autonomous vehicles among captive two-wheeler riders in India.
• To adapt existing autonomous vehicle technology acceptance models for Indian cultural perceptions.
• To analyze factors influencing the adoption intention of autonomous vehicles by current two-wheeler users.

Main Methods:

• Collected offline stated preference responses from diverse Indian populations.
• Employed Structural Equation Models (SEM) and Random Forest (RF) for data analysis.
• Modified theoretical AV acceptance models to incorporate Indian contextual factors.

Main Results:

• Random Forest analysis indicated medium to low trust among two-wheeler riders towards AV adoption.
• SEM revealed perceived trust and risk as primary drivers for adoption interest, outweighing perceived benefits/concerns for middle and older age groups.
• Perceived ease of use significantly influenced perceived risks, explaining over 20% of the variance in adoption intention.

Conclusions:

• Two-wheeler riders in India exhibit a nuanced attitude towards autonomous vehicle adoption.
• Trust and risk perception are critical factors, particularly influenced by ease of use, for AV acceptance among this demographic.
• Findings offer insights into diverse attitudes and potential barriers to AV technology adoption in India, balancing efficiency gains with privacy and safety concerns.