The objective of this study was to assess the experiences of end-users before and after testing three selected systems at the iMobility Challenge events. The primary objective of the demonstration activities was to increase the awareness of consumers and decision-makers of the systems, not collecting data for research. However, the data analysed in the present report offers insight into attitude trends when users get a chance to try technologies for themselves. The data for the study was collected via questionnaires which were directed to the users who tested the following three technologies in different iMobility Challenge events: emergency braking, traffic light assistant and parking assistance systems. In total, 42 stakeholders responded to the questionnaire. The questionnaire included four types of questions: background questions which were directed to all respondents, before-after questions which were directed to all respondents, beforeafter questions related to traffic light assistant and after questions related to all systems. The formulation of each question is presented in the following. The results indicate that car users’ perceptions about the systems generally became more positive after they had participated in demonstrations of the systems and used the systems by themselves. The results for park assist were partly contradictory, but this can be explained with the fact that the system required more from the driver in terms of interaction between the driver and the in-vehicle user interface than the other demonstrated systems. The results of the iMobility Challenge study on car users’ awareness and demand (Öörni & Penttinen, 2014) indicated that about a half of European car users are aware of in-vehicle ITS systems like emergency braking or eco-driving assistance, but only a minority of drivers has used the systems by themselves. The results of this study, supported by the previous results, suggest that the user perceptions of the systems may become more positive when drivers obtain first-hand experience of the systems. In practise, this can be realised in different ways such as demonstration activities, marketing efforts of car dealers, temporary use of an equipped vehicle (such as a rental car or a company car), exchange of information within peer groups or use of an equipped vehicle at driving school for practising. The conclusions of this study are based on data on a small and self-selected group of drivers. Therefore, it would be beneficial to verify this in a study with a larger number of users, a more representative user group and possibly in a more controlled setting. (Author/publisher) For more information on this project, see http://www.imobilitychallenge.eu/
Samenvatting