Understanding the Importance of Tentative Experience Associated with Automated Vehicle Usage

As automated vehicles (AV) are expected to improve travel safety and reduce traffic congestion, investigating the factors affecting their use is critical. To this point, people have been inclined to respond with randomness and uncertainty due to the lack of AV perception. To overcome this limitation, this study collected data through a face-to-face questionnaire from 117 respondents who have experienced an AV (SAE Level 4) in Beijing Haidian Park. An extended theory of planned behavior (TPB), which incorporated trust and behavior experience, was adopted. This study identified that a first tentative AV experience has a positive effect on attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and trust. Among the TPB construct, attitude and perceived behavioral control were significant predictors of intended AV use, whereas the subjective norm could indirectly influence consumers’ behavior intentions through attitude. The results suggest the positive role of AV experience and present some political and practical implications.