Yi-Ching Lee

By Yi-Ching Lee

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) or automated driving systems (ADSs) are projected to be widely available in the coming years. Prior research has documented the reasoned benefits and concerns about this prospect, especially from the perspectives of mobility and safety. However, little work has focused on the prospect of using AVs to enhance children’s mobility as well as the AV features that are needed for safety. An online survey was used to collect the opinions of parents within the United States on their willingness to use AVs to transport children. Results showed that parents’ concerns, assurance-related car features, parents’ technology readiness, child restraint system use (as a proxy for child age), and parent sex were important variables for modeling parents’ willingness. These findings highlight potential users’ needs and requirements as they consider AV ridership and use scenarios in the context of children’s mobility. More research is critically needed to guide the development of AV features, safety evaluations, and regulatory policies, as child passengers are likely part of AV ridership scenarios in the perceivable future.

Part of the book: Parenting

By Allegra Ayala and Yi-Ching Lee

Previous research has identified that autonomous vehicles (AVs) may be useful in increasing the mobility of certain groups, including children. Teenagers present a unique ridership case, as many teenagers hold a form of driver’s license although they are still children. Using an online survey, parents were asked about their general opinions of AV as well as several questions regarding their willingness to transport their teenagers in an AV unattended. Results indicated that factors such as early adopter status, the potential to delay teenager licensing, and perceived safety were related to parent willingness. These findings may be used to shape future research into using AVs to increase the mobility of teenagers.

Part of the book: Smart Mobility