Driverless Vehicles vs. Commercial Aircraft: Validation of Preferred Travel Method Scale
Presented during Concurrent Session 8A: Technology in Aviation
Abstract
Industry experts speculate that autonomous vehicles will become commercially available within the next decade. Passengers may prefer riding in an autonomous vehicle as it offers a viable alternative to riding in a commercial aircraft, particularly for shorter trips (5-7 hours). Previous research indicates that, on average, passengers don’t enjoy the experience of flying commercial because of the stress of waiting in lines, sharing personal space with strangers, and the lack of a comfortable travel environment. Even if a flight is only 1.5 hours, the time it takes to get to the airport early, check luggage, go through security, fly, and retrieve luggage, it can often take the same amount of time as if the person had drove. Flying is often viewed as a necessary evil because people don’t want to drive. However, with the introduction of autonomous vehicles, travelers may prefer to ride in the autonomous vehicle rather than fly on a commercial aircraft. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to validate a four-item, Likert-scale measuring participants’ level of preference for riding in an autonomous vehicle. Because fully autonomous vehicle technology is not yet available, this research is more proactive in trying to understand the relationship between these two transportation industries. This scale will help both the automotive industry in targeting early adopters of autonomous vehicle technology and the aviation industry with protecting their customer base.
Driverless Vehicles vs. Commercial Aircraft: Validation of Preferred Travel Method Scale
Mori Hosseini Student Union Events Center (Bldg #610) – Rooms 165 B/C
Industry experts speculate that autonomous vehicles will become commercially available within the next decade. Passengers may prefer riding in an autonomous vehicle as it offers a viable alternative to riding in a commercial aircraft, particularly for shorter trips (5-7 hours). Previous research indicates that, on average, passengers don’t enjoy the experience of flying commercial because of the stress of waiting in lines, sharing personal space with strangers, and the lack of a comfortable travel environment. Even if a flight is only 1.5 hours, the time it takes to get to the airport early, check luggage, go through security, fly, and retrieve luggage, it can often take the same amount of time as if the person had drove. Flying is often viewed as a necessary evil because people don’t want to drive. However, with the introduction of autonomous vehicles, travelers may prefer to ride in the autonomous vehicle rather than fly on a commercial aircraft. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to validate a four-item, Likert-scale measuring participants’ level of preference for riding in an autonomous vehicle. Because fully autonomous vehicle technology is not yet available, this research is more proactive in trying to understand the relationship between these two transportation industries. This scale will help both the automotive industry in targeting early adopters of autonomous vehicle technology and the aviation industry with protecting their customer base.
