Demographic and social differences in autonomous vehicle technology acceptance in Hungary

Abstract

Progress in automation has resulted in a growing number of autonomous vehicles (AVs). However, demographic and social differences behind the acceptance of AV technology are an emerging topic in the East-Central European region. These countries (e.g., Poland, Slovakia, Romania) move on a similar technological development path, and the social and economic conditions are alike; thus, Hungary represents this region well. This study contributes to fill this niche. We used quantitative research methods (factor analysis, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Pearson-correlation) to analyze with a snowball (non-probability) sampling. The Hungarian respondents (N=949) selected in the sample were interviewed through a face-to-face and online quantitative questionnaire. The results show that gender and age influence mostly the acceptance; residence and occupation have only partial influence. The propensity to take risks is significantly differentiated in almost all demographic segments. The results facilitate differentiation of users based on their demographic characteristics in AV adoption. Furthermore, the integration of risk propensity into the analysis helps to identify which potential user groups are more likely to overcome any fears of novelty or which clusters are more likely to adopt the current framework of safe transport without driver control. The outcomes are of interest to engineers, manufacturers and policy-makers who can adapt their products, services and taking measures to meet the mobility needs of potential users and introduce effective incentives to increase public acceptance of AVs.