Questioning the social and ethical implications of autonomous vehicle technologies on professional drivers.

Morton, Richard, Richards, Daniel, Dunn, Nick and Coulton, Paul (2019) Questioning the social and ethical implications of autonomous vehicle technologies on professional drivers. The Design Journal, 22 (sup1). pp. 2061-2071. ISSN 1460-6925

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Abstract

The haulage industry and its drivers have been using vehicles with the first generation of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for the last three years, gaining a wealth of knowledge and experience in the millions of kilometres driven. Despite this, there has been little research to understand how these technologies have been received by HGV drivers. To date, designers have typically focused on the control protocols that will govern decision-making and the potential gains in efficiency and social mobility that such technologies may unlock (Milakis, van Arem & van Wee, 2017). By contrast, this paper will present findings from a qualitative study conducted with HGV drivers to examine their overlooked role as the pioneers of driverless technologies. This paper will explore the value of the experiences of HGV drivers and the real-world opportunities and challenges that may be presented through the proposed introduction of autonomous vehicles.