Public perception of ethical issues concerning automated mobility: A focus group study among three road user categories

Abstract

As the deployment of automated vehicles (AV) progresses, questions about the public acceptance and ethical issues raised by automated mobility emerge. The present focus group study aimed at examining the ethical issues related to the AVs as perceived by road users through two scenarios. Nineteen participants in three groups, namely, drivers, pedestrians, and road users with disabilities, participated in the study. The three major principles that concerned all road user groups were responsibility, human autonomy, and wellbeing. For the road users with disabilities social justice was additionally a paramount issue, while for drivers it was privacy. The scenarios revealed both similarities and discrepancies in worries and expectations of different road user categories.