Acceptance of new technology and systems by drivers is an important area of concern to governments, automotive manufacturers and equipment suppliers, especially technology that has significant potential to enhance safety. To be acceptable, new technology must be useful and satisfying to use. If not, drivers will not want to have it, in which case it will never achieve the intended safety benefit. Even if they have the technology, drivers may not use it if it is deemed unacceptable, or may not use it in the manner intended by the designer. At worst, they may seek to disable it. This book brings into a single edited volume the accumulating body of thinking and research on driver and operator acceptance of new technology. Bringing together contributions from international experts from around the world, the editors have shaped a book that covers the theory behind acceptance, how it can be measured and how it can be improved. Case studies are presented that provide data on driver acceptance of a wide range of new and emerging vehicle technology. Although driver acceptance is the central focus of this book, acceptance of new technology by operators in other domains, and across cultures, is also investigated. Similarly, perspectives are derived from domains such as human computer interaction, where user acceptance has long been regarded as a key driver of product success. This book comes at a critical time in the history of the modern motor vehicle, as the number of new technologies entering the modern vehicle cockpit rapidly escalates. The goal of this book is to inspire further research and development of new vehicle technology to optimise user acceptance of it; and, in doing so, to maximise its potential to be useful, satisfying to use and able to save human life.
About the Author: Michael A. Regan is a Professor in Transport and Road Safety (TARS) Research in the School of Aviation at the University of New South Wales, in Sydney, Australia. Before that he held research appointments with the French Institute of Science and Technology for Transport, Development and Networks (IFFSTAR) in Lyon, France, and the Monash University Accident Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Mike's current research interests focus on human interaction with and acceptance of advanced driver assistance systems, driver distraction and inattention, use of instrumented vehicles for naturalistic observation of driving behaviour, and aviation safety. He sits on the editorial boards of five peer-reviewed journals, including Human Factors, is the author of more than 200 publications, including two books, and sits on several expert committees in transport safety. He is the 25th President of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia. Tim Horberry is Associate Professor of Human Factors at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is also a Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, UK, and before that he was at the UK's Transport Research Laboratory. Tim has published his work widely, including four books published either by Ashgate or CRC press: The Human Factors of Transport Signs (2004) and Human Factors in the Maritime Domain (2008), Understanding Human Error In Mine Safety (2009) and Human Factors for the Design, Operation and Maintenance of Mining Equipment (2010). Tim has undertaken many applied human factors research projects in Australia, the UK and Europe for organisations such as the European Union, Australian Research Council and the UK Department for Transport. Currently Tim is leading several projects in the minerals industry that are examining acceptance of new technology for mining vehicles - including collision detection systems or shovel automation. Alan Stevens is Chief Research Scientist and Research Director, Transpor