Social acceptance as the key to success

Social acceptance plays a decisive role in the introduction of automated mobility, because only when people trust a technology will they accept and use it. Only if society understands the many advantages and safety aspects of automated mobility can this trust be created.

It is important that people feel safe and that the technology is reliable in order to remove their concerns about control and safety. Positive social acceptance is therefore crucial if we are to fully reap the benefits of automated mobility.

Driver assistance systems and automated driving functions have the potential to significantly increase road safety, especially as human error is responsible for 90 per cent of all car accidents. Nevertheless, people still have concerns about automated vehicles. According to a survey conducted by CARiD in 2018, two thirds of respondents were in favour of legislation on automated mobility. This underlines these concerns.

Dialogue is crucial

From SAAM's point of view, in order to build trust it is essential to be in constant dialogue with society and to report on the progress of the technology as well as findings from the projects. It is essential that industry, policymakers and operators develop joint strategies for communicating with citizens about the opportunities and risks of new technologies. A key aspect of this is to promote understanding that, although these technologies do not rule out every possibility of an accident, they can significantly reduce the number of accidents.

Furthermore, it needs to be made transparent how information can be exchanged and used after an accident in order to prevent future accidents. A particular focus is on educating society about the benefits and positive effects of new forms of mobility, such as increased road safety, sustainability, responses to the shortage of skilled labour, the development of rural areas and promoting inclusion and participation. These advantages must not only be communicated, they also need to made tangible. This also applies to road users who do not want to use automated vehicles: They would also benefit from the increased safety provided by automated mobility and data from the transport infrastructure.

Communication challenge

A major focus of social acceptance must be public communication in order to dispel prejudices and communicate the opportunities offered by autonomous mobility in an understandable way. At the same time, it is important to find standardised terminology. In addition to the civilian population, government organisations such as the fire service and the police must also be involved in the discussion about automated driving. Because they also have a general interest in the public’s safety and well-being.

Why is social acceptance so crucial?

The success of automated mobility depends on three factors: technology, regulation and social acceptance. The third factor is often underestimated, even though it is the factor that tips the scales: Only if society and politicians have a positive attitude towards automated driving in our public spaces will we be able to make real progress in this area.

Although there are various studies on the social acceptance of automated mobility, they are not comparable with each other and are therefore not very meaningful. An important goal of SAAM is also to promote studies on social acceptance that use a simple, standardised methodology and are therefore costeffective and easy to replicate.