A Review of Empirical Studies on User Acceptance of Driver Assistance Systems

Objective – Innovative and advanced driver assistance systems are increasingly being implemented into vehicles in recent years. User acceptance to such technologies is complex in nature, as it depends primarily on the degree of innovation, as well as the different characteristics and behaviour of the adopters. Thus, it is essential to understand the concept of technology acceptance as it can assist in setting up priorities during the initial stages of product development and policy making. Methodology/Technique – This paper presents a review of empirical research on technology acceptance with regards to driver assistance systems referred from 17 published studies. In addition to evaluating various behavioural science theories and models such as Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), other proposed variables that influence acceptance and usage of such technologies, potential limitations and gaps have also been analysed and evaluated. Multiple electronic databases have been thoroughly searched for relevant empirical studies based on specified criteria and defined keywords. Findings – The results indicate that TAM indeed is a very useful model and mostly used; however to better understand the user acceptance toward driver assistance systems, additional factors need to be included in order to complement the existing constructs in TAM. Novelty – In term of studied location, majority of the empirical studies only concern USA and European populations. Asian populations, especially in the Southeast Asian region, which account for quite a number of vehicle users in the world, are underrepresented. Type of Paper: Review