Driverless cars could be a revolution for people with disabilities – but they also have good reason to be worried
In theory, fully autonomous driverless vehicles will offer huge advantages to people with disabilities.
- In theory, fully autonomous driverless vehicles will offer huge advantages to people with disabilities.
- Too often, people with disabilities face multiple problems while using public transport.
- They often need to rely on friends and relatives for lifts or spend too much of their limited budgets on taxis.
Gaining independence
- Driverless cars should allow individuals with disabilities to travel independently, whenever they want and to wherever they want.
- These studies have also looked into what might prevent individuals with disabilities from welcoming their introduction.
- Disquiet has also been voiced regarding possible equipment failures, software malfunctions, and dangerous and irresponsible driving by other road users.
Prior knowledge
- Our third major finding concerned the critical role of a disabled person’s prior knowledge of driverless cars.
- We found that prior knowledge often made people with disabilities more confident around driverless cars.
- But some of the group with prior knowledge had also decided that they disliked them.
- Given the importance of prior knowledge when it comes to being happy about using an autonomous vehicle, favourable information about driverless cars will be crucial to convincing people with disabilities of the advantages of this new technology.