Trust and intention to use autonomous vehicles in Bangkok, Thailand

This paper examines the intention to use autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Bangkok, Thailand. The level of readiness for AVs in terms of infrastructure, technology, and regulation in our study area may represent those in other developing countries where individual preferences and operational environment are generally different from more developed countries. We analyzed survey data of 797 respondents in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, using a modified Technology Acceptance Model. The model incorporated additional factors, including trust, perceived risk, and operational environment of AVs, as well as how they could affect the intention to use AVs. We found that all latent constructs, i.e., perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, trust, and perceived risk, were significantly associated with the intention to use. Trust was found to be the most powerful factor; it directly increased intention to use the vehicles, and indirectly increased intention to use through improvement of perceived ease of use and reduction in perceived risk. These findings imply that familiarizing the general public with AV-related technologies might help to improve trust and promote AVs adoption. The results also suggested that to promote the use of AVs in developing countries with irregular traffic patterns and mixed road usage, the operating environments in areas where AVs are allowed should be well designed and regulated to ensure confidence of the public.