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Understanding social attitudes towards autonomous driving: a perspective from Chinese citizens

Author

Listed:
  • Zhenning Li

    (University of Macau)

  • Ruru Tang

    (University of Macau)

  • Guofa Li

    (Chongqing University)

  • Chengzhong Xu

    (University of Macau)

Abstract

Given the rapid advancement of autonomous driving technology, discerning public willingness to pay and anticipated driving behavior for autonomous vehicles is crucial for their successful promotion, hastened adoption, and enhanced safety in forthcoming mixed autonomy traffic scenarios. This study employs a comprehensive online survey to scrutinize the factors influencing these objectives, encompassing socioeconomic and demographic elements, driving experience, and attitudes towards autonomous vehicles. Leveraging a sophisticated discrete choice model-the mixed logit model with heterogeneity in means and variances-this analysis unveils significant impacts of public social attitudes towards autonomous vehicles and current driving behavior on their willingness to pay for and behavior around autonomous vehicles. This paper’s contributions span theoretical modeling, experimental design, and estimation outcomes, offering valuable insights for policymakers and automobile manufacturers.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhenning Li & Ruru Tang & Guofa Li & Chengzhong Xu, 2025. "Understanding social attitudes towards autonomous driving: a perspective from Chinese citizens," Transportation, Springer, vol. 52(5), pages 1925-1956, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:transp:v:52:y:2025:i:5:d:10.1007_s11116-024-10480-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11116-024-10480-x
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