First steps towards a holistic impact assessment methodology for connected and automated vehicles [version 3; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]

Abstract

Connected and automated vehicles have become more common in recent years, increasing the need to assess their societal level impacts. In this paper a methodology is presented to explore and define these impacts as a starting point for quantitative impact assessment. The many interrelations between impacts increases the complexity of obtaining a complete overview. Therefore, a structured approach is used, which shows many similarities with the modelling of causal-loop-diagrams. Feedback loops between impacts are taken into account at an early stage and both literature review and expert interviews are used to produce a holistic overview of impacts. The methodology was developed and applied in the European H2020 project LEVITATE. The impact taxonomy and interrelations between impacts resulting from this project are presented and further steps needed to perform a quantitative evaluation of the impacts are discussed.

Keywords

• impact assessment
• automated vehicles
• connected vehicles
• behavioural adaptation
• traffic system
• societal impacts
• eng