Autonomous Vehicles: Developing a Public Health Research Agenda to Frame the Future of Transportation Policy

Travis J Crayton & Benjamin Mason Meier, Autonomous Vehicles: Developing a Public Health Research Agenda to Frame the Future of Transportation Policy, 6 Journal of Transport & Health 245-252 (2017).

8 Pages Posted: 13 May 2017 Last revised: 14 Jul 2018

See all articles by Travis Crayton

Travis Crayton

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill

Benjamin Mason Meier

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Date Written: May 1, 2017

Abstract

Recent advancements in autonomous vehicle technology have led to projections that fully autonomous vehicles could define the transportation network within the coming years. In preparation for this disruptive innovation in transportation technology, transportation scholars have started to assess the potential impacts of autonomous vehicles, and transportation policymakers have started to formulate policy recommendations and regulatory guidance concerning their deployment. However, there has been little analysis of the public health implications arising from the widespread adoption of fully autonomous vehicles. We examine these prospective public health impacts—both benefits and harms to individual and population health—and analyze how they can be considered in the development of transportation policy. In this manuscript, we discuss the evolving relationship between technological innovations in transportation and public health, conceptualize automated transportation as a disruptive technology necessitating a public policy response, and define a research agenda to examine the public health implications of autonomous vehicle policy, as seen through existing evidence on road casualties, environmental health, aging populations, non-communicable disease, land use, and labor markets. We conclude that such a public health research agenda would provide a basis to frame autonomous vehicle policies that best support the public's health, realize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to ensure healthy lives and create sustainable cities, and provide a basis for public health participation in transportation policy reforms.

Keywords: Autonomous Vehicles, Public Health, Road Casualties, Environmental Health, Healthy Aging, Urban Planning

Suggested Citation

Crayton, Travis and Meier, Benjamin Mason, Autonomous Vehicles: Developing a Public Health Research Agenda to Frame the Future of Transportation Policy (May 1, 2017). Travis J Crayton & Benjamin Mason Meier, Autonomous Vehicles: Developing a Public Health Research Agenda to Frame the Future of Transportation Policy, 6 Journal of Transport & Health 245-252 (2017)., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2966084

Travis Crayton

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill ( email )

102 Ridge Road
Chapel Hill, NC NC 27514
United States

Benjamin Mason Meier (Contact Author)

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ( email )

CB 3435
103 Abernethy Hall
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
United States
919-962-0542 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.benjaminmasonmeier.com/

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