The Determinants of Consumer Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles: A Case Study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

The factors affecting the acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) in Saudi Arabia were examined by conducting a stated choice survey among 500 participants. Descriptive analysis showed that the participants believed that using AVs will decrease the risk of car crashes and help them safely reach their destination. Parametric analysis and prediction models showed a wide variation in public opinion regarding willingness to use AVs, despite an average high score on this factor. The study found that the trust in AVs was low, and women favored AVs more than men. Prediction models showed that age, trust, and being tech-savvy determine the willingness to use AVs. As younger participants had a high willingness to use AVs, we recommended focusing on changing the perception of older drivers to increase overall AV acceptance by increasing their trust in this new technology and highlighting the features of AVs. From the findings of this study, it is expected that wide-scale adoption of AV depends upon its competitiveness with the traditional and its performance in terms of enhancing road safety.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM).

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Notes on contributors

Ibrahim Alsghan

Ibrahim Alsghan is an assistant professor in Civil Engineering Department at University of Bahrain. He completed his PhD in Transportation Planning from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in 2014. His research interests include statistical analysis, artificial neural networks, mode choice modeling and traffic forecasting.

Uneb Gazder

Uneb Gazder is an Assistant Professor at Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at KFUPM, Saudi Arabia. He received his BSc degree from Birzeit University, Palestine and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from KFUPM. His research interests include Traffic Safety, ITS, Traffic Operations and Machine Learning Applications.

Khaled Assi

Khaled Assi received his Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 2018. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, KFUPM. His research interests include traffic safety, traffic operations, Human factors, Automated vehicles, and machine learning.

Gazi Hassan Hakem

Gazi Hassan Hakem received a B.Sc. degree in civil engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, in 2020. He is currently working for an engineering consultancy company in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

Mohammad Abduljalil Sulail

Mohammad Abduljalil Sulail is a master’s student majoring in Smart & Sustainable Cities at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM). He received his bachelor’s degree from KFUPM in 2020. His interest is in solving traffic problems and designing transportation systems.

Osamah Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani

Osamah Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in 2020 with honor. His main interests are transportation and infrastructure. He is currently working for a construction company as an infrastructure engineer.