Impact of Aging on Driver Preferences for Self-Driving Modes and Behaviors in Two Traffic Complexities

Abstract

This study investigates age-related distinctions in preferences for self-driving vehicles, exploring their connections with traffic-related elements and individual perceptions. Analyzing two groups (23-44 and 60+ years old), the research uncovers nuanced findings that offer valuable insights for designing driver preference-based autonomous driving. The elder (Old: 60+) group, despite displaying elevated trust levels, exhibits lower preferences for self-driving compared to the young-to-middle (Y-M: 23-44) aged group. This discrepancy is highlighted alongside a significant significance between perceived difficulty and self-driving preferences in both age groups. In each traffic situation, the elder group lacks statistical significance between traffic complexity and perceived difficulty, signaling a more intricate traffic perception process. Correspondence analysis underscores age-specific preferences for extreme human-engaged or -disengaged actions, handing over control and no informing, emphasizing the significance of situation-specific considerations. Correlations between current trust and preference choices align in both groups. As a result, we suggest various design considerations that could potentially improve driver-preference factors; customizable actions, gradual automation transitions, factor-specific scaling, and specific cut-off threshold, etc. This study not only reveals age-related variations but also provides potential design principles for preference-based decision-making systems in autonomous vehicles (AVs).

Keywords

• Age difference
• individual perception
• driver preference
• autonomous vehicles
• self-driving behavior
• traffic complexity