Public perception of the government regulation of driverless passenger vehicles and its impact on the ridership

Driverless passenger vehicles (DPVs), also known as automated vehicles (AVs), have become a reality in recent years across the United States and globally. Various jurisdictions have either initiated testing or provided their land for private companies to test AVs. Unlike human-driven vehicles, residents are unaware of which level of government will be involved in regulating AVs. While existing literature has focused on the regulatory framework, liability laws, and institutional reforms needed for AV integration, there is a limited understanding of how the public perceives government regulation of AVs and how these perceptions influence their willingness to ride in such vehicles. This study employed the Bayesian Networks approach to analyze data collected by the Pew Research Center in 2022, exploring residents’ perceptions of government regulation of AVs and its impact on ridership. Results indicate that political ideology and education level are key factors influencing residents’ perceptions of government regulation of AVs. People with higher education levels are less likely to perceive that the government will overregulate AV use. Similarly, compared to moderate or liberal Republicans, conservative Republicans are more likely to perceive that the government will overregulate AV use. In contrast, liberal Democrats and conservative Democrats are less likely to share this perception. Other factors associated with the perception that the government will go too far in regulating AV use include older and male residents. On the other hand, people who live in metropolitan areas, those who heard/read about AVs, high-income earners, Hispanics, African Americans, and mixed races are less likely to perceive that the government will go too far regulating AV use. Overall, the difference in the government’s perception of the AV regulations has a minimal impact on ridership. However, when interacting with other variables, such as race, political ideology, and access to AV information, this impact is revealed. Specifically, the increase in the likelihood of riding the AVs was primarily influenced by higher education levels, higher income levels, access to AV information, and residence area. The study provides an overview of the influence of government regulation on AVs and can be a good tool for policymakers, as it covers a large geographical area.