Enhanced Mobility for Aging Populations Using Automated Vehicles

Automated vehicles (AV) offer a unique opportunity to improve the safety and efficiency of the transportation system and enhance the mobility of aging and transportation disadvantaged populations simultaneously. However, before this potential can be realized, it is important to develop a greater understanding of aging adults’ travel behavior and attitudes toward AVs to determine how AVs could best meet their travel needs. To this end, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) tasked a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Florida State University to conduct a research project aimed at providing information and guidance on how automated and connected vehicle technology could enhance the mobility of aging populations. This project was divided into four separate, but related, research tasks, including literature reviews of aging adult’s travel behavior and safety, a survey of Floridian’s attitudes toward AVs, and a social media data mining analysis of public perception of AVs. Findings indicated that aging adults have unique travel needs that often are not adequately addressed by today's transportation system. But these mobility problems could be alleviated, in part, by automated vehicle technology. Analyses of resident’s attitudes toward AVs found that even though aging adults are less likely to trust AVs, over half of Florida’s residents are interested in AVs. In summary, this study affirmed AVs' potential to provide safe and efficient mobility options to Florida’s growing aging population, but it highlighted the importance of informing the public about AVs' potential benefits in order to develop the trust necessary for widespread adoption of the technology.

• Record URL:
  https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/research/reports/fdot-bdv30-977-11-rpt.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/research/reports/fdot-bdv30-977-11-sum.pdf
• Corporate Authors:

  Florida State University, Tallahassee

  Department of Urban and Regional Planning
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32306-2280

  Florida Department of Transportation

  605 Suwannee Street
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450
• Authors:
  • Duncan, Mike
  • Charness, Neil
  • Chapin, Tim
  • Horner, Mark
  • Stevens, Lindsay
  • Richard, Amanda
  • Souders, Dustin
  • Crute, Jeremy
  • Riemondy, Alex
  • Morgan, Donald
• Publication Date: 2015-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 222p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Attitudes; Data mining; Intelligent vehicles; Literature reviews; Mobile communication systems; Mobility; Public opinion; Social media; Travel behavior
• Geographic Terms: Florida
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society; Vehicles and Equipment; I90: Vehicles;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01587723
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 035048
• Contract Numbers: BDV30 977-11
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jan 27 2016 5:11PM