Perception of cyber attacks on automated vehicles and its influence on road sharing and ridership: Insights of the US perspective from a 2021 nationwide survey

Abstract

As transportation enters into the automation phase, the likelihood of cyber-attacks increases. Such a rise in cyber-attacks can be an obstacle to widespread vehicle automation and the use of automated vehicles (AVs). Understanding people’s perception of cyber-attacks on AVs and the impact of the perception of cyber-attacks on ridership and sharing the road with AVs have become important for widespread automation. Regardless of its importance to the ridership of AVs, little effort has been exerted to understand the influence of cyberattacks on the use and adoption of AVs. This study uniquely contributes by identifying key demographic factors such as age, education, income, political ideology, and geographic location that influence perceptions of AV cybersecurity risks. These perceptions are linked to actual behavioral outcomes like ridership and road-sharing with AVs. This study applied Bayesian Networks to the nationwide data the Pew Research Center collected in November 2021. Older individuals are found to be more likely to believe AVs are vulnerable to cyber-attacks, while higher-educated, higher-income, and metropolitan residents tend to feel more secure about AV safety when it comes to cybersecurity threats. Importantly, the perception of cyber-attacks affects behavior differently: those with higher education and income who perceive AVs as vulnerable are less likely to ride in them, while older residents are less willing to share the road with AVs. These insights offer valuable direction for policymakers to design targeted educational campaigns to improve public trust and encourage broader AV adoption.