Les véhicules autonomes : quelle place en Wallonie ? Impacts potentiels et acceptation sociale

Abstract

Vehicles in which computers take over the art of driving, making them able to drive without human interaction, are closer to becoming a reality. While both technological companies and more traditional automotive manufacturers are working toward their development, autonomous vehicles (AVs) are seen as a potential solution to take up the challenges of tomorrow’s mobility. In this context, this paper aims at exploring the potential effects of autonomous vehicles on transportation systems and society at large. Through a review of the literature and the conduct of face to face interviews with experts, we demonstrated that autonomous vehicles open countless possibilities for the future. They offer considerable opportunity for improving social welfare by saving lives and cost in crash reduction, by reducing congestion and its associated costs, but also by decreasing environmental externalities. Fully automated vehicles could also provide an improved mobility for non-drivers and have the potential to substantially affect land use. However, in order to enjoy these benefits, some obstacles will have first to be overcome. Barriers seen as the most critical are user acceptance, safety issues, laws and regulations, privacy concerns, incomplete technology and ethical considerations. As the public acceptance forms a prerequisite for the introduction of AVs on our roads and conditions the appearance of their benefits, an online survey was conducted to assess the public knowledge and opinion of Walloon people about autonomous driving and related scenarios. The results show a lack of general knowledge among the Walloon population. Moreover, despite a largely positive opinion, the majority of respondents expressed high levels of concern about riding in AVs and their potential related issues. Facing this high level of concern, an incremental introduction of autonomous features in vehicles is advised. This will leave time for consumers, so that they can gradually get used to the technology, experience its benefits and possibly adopt it. Meanwhile, it will also enable manufacturers to demonstrate the advantages of AVs, while continuing to refine the technology and, finally, it will leave the necessary time for the government to create a regulatory framework and resolve liability issues. To change the level of awareness and public perception of AVs, it is further proposed to launch advertising campaigns and organize free experimentations of autonomous driving. To summarize, this thesis aims at increasing our knowledge about potential impacts of AVs and its public acceptance among the Walloon population.