Automatic for the people - How prior encounters shape prospected interactions with automated shuttles

The current study explored the effect of on-road experiences with an automated shuttle (AS) on vulnerable road users’ (VRUs) expectations about the AS’s actions. It was also explored whether experience interacted with situational characteristics, subjects' trust in ASs and functional understanding of ASs in affecting expectations. Subjects were presented with an online questionnaire in which they had to indicate their expectations about the AS’s actions in different visualized traffic situations as well as their previous experience with, trust in and functional understanding of ASs. The findings indicate that experience by itself had no influence on expected AS behavior. Yet, experience did have an effect in interaction with situational characteristics, trust and understanding, suggesting that multiple factors play a role in forming VRUs’ expectations about the behavior of an AS.