Driverless cars could increase traffic congestion in coming years through drivers' fears of the new technology and an unwillingness of people to share their rides, new research has found.
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The University of Adelaide has surveyed more than 500 commuters who travel by car and public transport.
The research team then explored potential vehicle flows with a mix of autonomous and conventional vehicles, and land use changes in Adelaide's CBD under different scenarios.
"Our findings show that Adelaide has the potential to significantly reduce the number of vehicles on the roads and improve traffic flows, however these benefits may not be achieved in the near to medium term for many reasons," co-author Raul Barreto said.
"The key factors affecting the transition to autonomous vehicles are commuter attitudes to car ownership and wanting to drive themselves, rather than have technology do it for them, as well as the price of new technology, and consumer attitudes to car sharing."
Dr Barreto said evidence suggested there would be an adverse impact on public transport as people switched to autonomous vehicles.
With most commuters not interested in ride sharing, this could increase peak-hour traffic, leading to an increase in traffic congestion over the next 30 years.
"Under both scenarios we tested, the number of vehicles overall will eventually drop. However, total vehicle trips may increase, and some of the predicted benefits of autonomous vehicles may not eventuate until a lengthy transition period is complete," Dr Barreto said.
Australian Associated Press
