Investigating the Importance of Trust on Adopting an Autonomous Vehicle

The objective of this study is to examine the user’s adoption aspects of autonomous vehicle, as well as to investigate what factors drive people to trust an autonomous vehicle. A model explaining the impact of different factors on autonomous vehicles’ intention is developed based on the technology acceptance model and trust theory. A survey of 552 drivers was conducted and the results were analyzed using partial least squares. The results demonstrated that perceived usefulness and trust are major important determinants of intention to use autonomous vehicles. The results also show that three constructs—system transparency, technical competence, and situation management—have a positive effect on trust. The study identified that trust has a negative effect on perceived risk. Among the driving-related personality traits, locus of control has significant effects on behavioral intention, whereas sensation seeking did not. This study investigated that the developed model explains the factors that influence the acceptance of autonomous vehicle. The results of this study provide evidence on the importance of trust in the user’s acceptance of an autonomous vehicle.