Call for Papers - Transport Reviews: Long-term implications of automated vehicles (deadline: November 1, 2017)

About a century ago, private vehicles started being massively introduced into western societies. Several decades later preventing and/or mitigating adverse effects of this mobility technology became of critical importance for urban and transport policy. Automated driving technology is likely to bring substantial changes in future urban mobility. This special issue focuses on possible long-term social, economic and environmental implications of automated vehicles.   

 Automated driving technology involves hardware (e.g. sensors) and software (e.g. trajectory planning) systems that can assist the driver to conduct the dynamic tasks of driving (e.g. monitor the driving environment, lateral and/or longitudinal motion control). In the highest levels of vehicle automation, an automated driving system can perform all dynamic tasks of driving in certain (e.g. in highways; SAE level 4) or in all conditions (SAE level 5) either occupied or unoccupied. Automated vehicles can operate with or without communication with other vehicles and/or road-side infrastructure.

 The interest on wider social, economic and environmental implications of automated driving is growing as this technology becomes available. For instance, automated driving could reduce travel cost, enhance accessibility and therefore induce new suburban development. Changes in land use and location choices as well as possible modal shift from public transport to automated vehicles could induce additional travel demand with significant energy and environmental implications. On the other hand, road capacity enhancement as well as replacement of part of the fleet by shared automated vehicles might reduce future needs for new roads. Long-term implications for the economy, public health and social equity could also be important. What could be the scale of job changes in the transport system and elsewhere due to full vehicle automation? Which sectors of the economy and which countries and/or regions would be most affected? To what extent will vehicle automation be associated with lower levels of physical activity and with public health issues, such as obesity and diabetes? How costs and benefits of vehicle automation will be distributed among different social groups?

 This special issue welcomes review, discussion and position papers that systematically explore wider long-term social, economic and environmental implications of automated vehicles in passenger or freight transport. We particularly welcome submissions based on interdisciplinary approaches that take into account possible convergence of automated driving technology with other emerging mobility concepts (e.g. electric vehicles, shared vehicles, drones) as well as potential transitional interactions of different levels of automated vehicles with conventional transport systems. Acknowledging the dynamics of co-evolution of society (e.g. demographics, regulations, cultures) and transport technology is important as well. Possible topics of long-term impacts of automated vehicles include (but are not limited to):
  • travel demand
  • accessibility and urban form
  • transport infrastructures and systems
  • vehicle ownership
  • environment (e.g. energy consumption, air pollution)
  • road safety
  • economy
  • governance
  • social equity
  • public health
Submission instructions and timeline

 Submission should be through ScholarOne. Authors should select the "Long-term implications of AV – Special Issue" option.

 Call for papers: 1.4.17
Submission full paper: 1.11.17
First round review: 1.2.18
Revised full paper: 1.4.18
Second round review: 1.6.18
Final decision: 8.18
Publication: late 2018

 Editorial information

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