How collective frames of orientation toward automobile practices provide hints for a future with autonomous vehicles

Abstract

Since recent studies on autonomous driving have revealed that perceptions and evaluation toward the technology are bound to how people ascribe meaning to their car use, current user perspectives on and practices toward car use and ownership are thus feasible to approach user perspectives on autonomous driving. The article aims to engage in the current technology debate by examining these perspectives and practices. It argues that there is a need in transport and mobility research to reach beyond individual attitudes and to analyze them in relation to the sociotechnical context they are associated with. The empirical study thus examines mobility as a practice deeply embedded in and mediated with social and societal relations using a qualitative approach.The results indicate that car use and ownership are not only based on individuals’ decisions reflecting their attitudes, motivations and functional or emotional aspects but also embedded in a specific regime of orientations, attributions, values and norms related to today’s society. While the participants in the group discussions expressed a critical view on car use and autonomous driving at first sight, their underlying frames of orientation exposed a different and more “car-friendly” picture. The study uses these results to draw lessons on the acceptance and adoption processes for autonomous driving in the future. Besides requirements for future research, there is a need of integrating holistic approaches into policy and planning processes when implementing autonomous vehicles into the transport system.