Assessing user behaviour and acceptance in real-world automated driving: the L3Pilot project approach

The L3Pilot project, funded by H2020, is conducting the first large-scale piloting of SAE Level 3 automated driving in Europe. The main aim of the project is to address a number of key questions in a step towards introducing automated vehicles on European roads. This paper discusses the approach taken by the L3Pilot project, to evaluate user behaviour in, and acceptance of, automated driving in real-world pilots. Although some technical challenges associated with the development and demonstration of such technologies are well-documented, current methodologies, such as those used to evaluate Field Operational Tests (FOTs), offer little guidance about assessing the impact of automated driving on users’ behaviour and acceptance. This paper outlines the methods used and developed for assessing user behaviour and acceptance within the project, summarises some of the methodological challenges involved in collecting data during an automated driving pilot, and discusses some approaches we have developed to solve these multifaceted challenges.