Sketching an inclusive mobility future for shared autonomous vehicles

Kurzfassung

New technical development, such as autonomous driving, are now creating a crucial moment for accessible mobility. However, most often systems, such as shared autonomous vehicles (SAV), are not designed according to the diverse needs of people with disabilities. It is still an open question how people with disabilities assess such systems in terms of acceptability and accessibility. Person with impairments need to take part in the design process of SAV to increase acceptance and accessibility. To close this research gap, a Europe-wide online survey was administered and data from 273 people with impairment and 312 without impairment was collected on their assessment of future SAVs. Survey respondents were asked about their intention to use SAVs and to assess the mobility system based on the five facets of the Mobility Divide Index (autonomy, travel time, convenience, comfort, and safety). The findings showed that people with disabilities took a rather critical view of SAVs and revealed a low intention to use. However, the results suggest that people with disabilities see benefits of SAVs for a more independent and easier mobility. Findings also indicate that SAVs are not expected to make their trips faster, comfortable, and safer. Results revealed a gender effect for one MDI facet. Women with impairments assessed SAVs as less comfortable compared to men. No significant differences in the assessment of SAVs between different types of disabilities were found. Qualitative findings regarding the suggestions for improvement were analyzed. Nearly 300 suggestions for improvements were analysed and clustered into 13 categories (trust, safety & security, on-board staff, entry and exit, availability of information, costs, travel time, previous experiences, availability, wheelchair compatibility, app usage, accessibility in general and others). These findings suggest that information and communication is essential for persons with disabilities when using SAVs. Information transparency must be ensured in future SAVs. The categories identified in the qualitative analysis provide valuable insights to address the information gaps relevant to this target group, particularly regarding accessibility. Based on the findings, in the current development phase of SAVs, the focus should be on building trust and promoting acceptance of these vehicles. In this way, the intention to use SAVs among people with disabilities could be enhanced and a more inclusive mobility future for SAVs is realized.