The Roles of Driving Style and Initial Trust on Trust towards Automated Vehicles

Abstract: User trust and acceptance are critical for the success of Automated Vehicles (AVs) in enhancing road safety and reducing driver workload. This study aims to investigate the influence of AV style (careful or aggressive) and driver style (careful or aggressive) on trust in AVs, while considering the role of initial trust level. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted with 204 participants, and responses were analyzed utilizing a Linear Mixed Model (LMM) with AV style, driver style and initial level as fixed effects. Two significant two-way interactions were observed: between driver style and AV style, and another between initial trust and AV style on trust. Specifically, careful AVs were rated with a higher trust than aggressive AVs by both driver groups. Additionally, aggressive drivers trusted aggressive AVs more than careful drivers, but careful AVs gain the same trust. Interestingly, participants with medium initial trust exhibited a less divergence in trust between different AV styles, yet the trust gaps between different trust groups consistently existed. These findings underscore the importance of aligning driver style, AV style, and initial trust levels to cultivate heightened trust in AVs.

Keywords: Automated Vehicle, Driving style, Initial trust, Trust

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1004280

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