Conceptualising the adoption of safer autonomous mobilities

ABSTRACT

The safety of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is considered a high-priority area that has yet to be fully understood and more comprehensively addressed to enable their large-scale adoption. The current literature lacks a cohesive conceptual framework for a holistic understanding of AVs implications. This paper develops a framework that conceptualises the safety impacts of AVs more holistically. Through the theoretical lens of a ‘mobilities’ paradigm, the conceptual framework encompasses four dimensions – social, political, technological, and economic mobilities – unveiling a range of hidden complexities and challenges in adopting AVs. It suggests that a successful transition towards safer AV systems would initially require greater understanding of how these four dimensions are interrelated, interdependent, and complex. The value of this framework is to enable policymakers, planners, and engineers to navigate the future of autonomous mobilities optimally.

KEYWORDS:

• Autonomous vehicles
• safety implications
• mobilities paradigm
• conceptual framework
• narrative review

Acknowledgements

This paper was presented at the New Zealand Geographical Society (NZGS) Conference, Victoria University of Wellington, 2020. We thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on an earlier version of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The capability to execute all driving tasks without driver assistance.

2 Mobilities literature also commonly uses the term ‘habitus’. Differences between habits and habitus have been discussed in the literature (e.g. Crossley 2013).

3 This could also relate to the deeply ingrained psychosocial component in the US society which privileges individualism and personal autonomy.

4 The 1998 power crash in Auckland resulted in multiple deaths due to power failure in homes and hospitals.

Additional information

Funding

This research was partly funded by the Transportation Group of Engineering New Zealand through the 2019 Tertiary Study Grant.