Influences of automated driving on individuals’ spatial and temporal behavior

Abstract

Automated driving will provide new options for the ways in which people travel. In particular, the opportunity to spend travel time on activities other than driving will have major ramifications. As travel is no longer a “disutility” but can be integrated in everyday activity plans, accepted times and accepted distances for travel will change. Existing travel patterns allow for a first estimation of how attractive an alternative time use may be for different segments of road users. If travel times are less than 15 minutes (as this is the case for about 45% of all trips made on a weekday in Germany), using such time for alternative productive activities does not seem worthwhile to people. These findings are reinforced by surveys assessing how individuals perceive the utility of various alternative activities while riding in an autonomous vehicle: at the top of the list we find relaxing, not productive activities. While these considerations reflect a short-term perspective, individuals’ spatial and temporal behavior may change in the long term. These changes will depend on a variety of factors such as the spatial pattern of real estate prices and incomes, social structure and life styles, and also built infrastructure.