Public acceptance of driver state monitoring for automated vehicles: Applying the UTAUT framework

ABSTR A C T Driver state monitoring (DSM) systems aim to measure driver/occupant state, considering factors such as fatigue, workload, attentiveness, and wellbeing. They are influential for some vehicles on the road today, but as we move towards higher levels of automation their use is expected to become even more important. Uncertainty around public perception of these systems is a potentially limiting factor, with potential concerns for privacy, data storage, perceived utility, and reliability amongst other things posing potential threats. A survey was conducted based on the Universal Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework, which collected 311 individual responses to explore the acceptability of this technology in specific relation to conditionally and partially automated vehicles. This paper identified that the factors of effort expectancy, performance expectancy, social influence, and attitudes towards using new tech-nology are all positively related to overall behavioural intention, whereas anxiety is negatively related. Other demographic influences are discussed, and recommendations made for future research and marketing/implementation of DSM systems to ensure acceptance by future users.

Automated summary

Driver state monitoring (DSM) systems aim to measure driver/occupant state with factors such as fatigue, workload, attentiveness, and wellbeing. As vehicles move towards higher levels of automation, the importance of these systems is expected to increase. Uncertainty around public perception of these systems, potentially influenced by concerns over privacy, data storage, perceived utility, and reliability, poses potential threats.