Autonomous vehicles: what could this mean for the future of transport?

Autonomous vehicles are an emerging technology that is likely to have significant impacts on travel behaviour and road network operations in the medium to long term. Autonomous vehicles will improve safety on roads as they more closely observe their surroundings using technologies such as radar, lidar, GPS, and computer vision; these will be more reliable than the human eye and the system will not be subject to slow human reaction times. As a result, these driver-less cars will be able to travel closer together and operate at higher speeds, thus increasing capacity on roads. However, the improved comfort; ability to better use the time while travelling; and reduced complexity of parking will make road-based travel more attractive. This is likely to increase trip making and increase average trip lengths. The extra demand pressures could be exacerbated by the use of cars to auto-chauffeur people, reducing parking requirements but increasing counter peak traffic flows. The relative attractiveness of public transport will also be altered; on the one hand the improvements to car travel will make PT relatively less attractive; on the other hand autonomous vehicles could make PT more responsive and affordable. All of these effects are explored in the TransPosition model, and the overall impact on Brisbane's traffic assessed.

• Authors:
  • Davidson, P
  • Spinoulas, A
• Conference:
  • Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management (AITPM) National Conference, 2015, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
• Publication Date: 2015-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 15p
• Monograph Title: 2015 AITPM Traffic and Transport Conference, 28-31 July 2015, Brisbane, Queensland

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automated vehicle control; Highway traffic control; Modal shift; Modal split; Policy; Safety; Traffic distribution; Traffic flow; Travel demand; Vehicles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Safe systems (vehicles)
• Geographic Terms: Brisbane, Queensland
• ATRI Terms: Autonomous vehicle; Modal shift; Policy; Traffic distribution; Traffic flow; Traffic management; Travel demand
• ITRD Terms: 3882: Automatic; 132: Forecast
• Subject Areas: Policy; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01578074
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: Oct 9 2015 11:31AM