Risk Perception of Autonomous Driving, Policy Acceptance, and the Role of Cognitive Uncertainty and Stereotyping

Although autonomous vehicles (AVs) have the potential to improve road safety in the future, public support is limited. Existing research has shown a negative correlation between the perceived risk of AVs and the acceptance of AV policies. We aim to further investigate this relationship by surveying approximately 3,000 households in Germany. We introduce a novel measure of perceived AV risk and associated cognitive uncertainty that provides insights into risk perception beyond traditional Likert scale measures. To shift risk perceptions, we employ an information provision experiment and examine its impact on risk perceptions and associated cognitive uncertainty. In addition, we analyze the relationship between risk perceptions, cognitive uncertainty, and acceptance of AV policies. Finally, our study explores the potential link between stereotyping behaviors and AV risk perceptions.