Expectations of Non-automated Road Users for Interactions in Mixed Traffic

Misunderstandings between automated vehicles and surrounding traffic sometimes occur in interactions because AV do not always act human-like. Knowledge on AV is likely to influence expectations of vehicle behavior in interaction situations and drivers might change their behavior accordingly when interacting with AV. It might thus be important to understand how human drivers expect AV to interact in traffic and whether human driving behavior changes in interaction with AV. In a video-based approach, the expectations of non-automated road users towards AV were compared to the expectations towards human drivers in the same situation. Results show that drivers expect AV to show a less aggressive, more safety-oriented driving style. However, drivers showed a similar frequency of cooperation towards AV and human drivers. Although a clear difference in behavior expectations was identified, no negative consequences for interactions were found.