Holding the keys to health? A scoping study of the population health impacts of automated vehicles

Abstract

Background Automated Vehicles (AVs) are central to the new mobility paradigm that promises to transform transportation systems and cities across the globe. To date, much of the research on AVs has focused on technological advancements with little emphasis on how this emerging technology will impact population-level health. This scoping study examines the potential health impacts of AVs based on the existing literature. Methods Using Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping protocol, we searched academic and ‘grey’ literature to anticipate the effects of AVs on human health. Results Our search captured 43 information sources that discussed a least one of the five thematic areas related to health. The bulk of the evidence is related to road safety (n = 37), followed by a relatively equal distribution between social equity (n = 24), environment (n = 22), lifestyle (n = 20), and built environment (n = 18) themes. There is general agreement that AVs will improve road safety overall, thus reducing injuries and fatalities from human errors in operating motorized vehicles. However, the relationships with air quality, physical activity, and stress, among other health factors may be more complex. The broader health implications of AVs will be dependent on how the technology is adopted in various transportation systems. Regulatory action will be a significant determinant of how AVs could affect health, as well as how AVs influence social and environmental determinants of health. Conclusion To support researchers and practitioners considering the health implications of AVs, we provide a conceptual map of the direct and indirect linkages between AV use and health outcomes. It is important that stakeholders, including public health agencies work to ensure that population health outcomes and equitable distribution of health impacts are priority considerations as regulators develop their response to AVs. We recommend that public health and transportation officials actively monitor trends in AV introduction and adoption, regulators focus on protecting human health and safety in AV implementation, and researchers work to expand the body of evidence surrounding AVs and population health.

Use of technology and social media in dementia care: Current and future directions

“…But it is clear that there is a broad range of potential positive impacts of automated vehicle technology in the lives of older adults. Even more broadly it can help bridge disparities in social and environmental determinants associated with health[ 93 ].…”

Preparing scoping reviews for publication using methodological guides and reporting standards

“…A scoping review can be used to inform readers of the current state of evidence for an area of practice (or an emerging topic) or to provide direction for future research priorities (Colquhoun et al, ; Peterson, Pearce, Ferguson, & Langford, ). Scoping reviews have also been used to identify social determinants of health, as well as highlight strengths and weaknesses in fields of research (Dean et al, ; Yii, Palermo, & Kleve, ). To summarize, the rationales which best suit a scoping review are exploratory in nature, for example, scoping a field in order to identify future systematic review topics, to identify gaps in the research literature, to map concepts or definitions related to a research area, or clarify conceptual parameters, or to provide a summative overview of a topic, field of inquiry or concept (Colquhoun et al, ; Cooper et al, ; Peters et al, ; Tricco et al, ).…”

Changing aspirations: The future of transport and health

“…Are automated vehicles (AVs) the panacea that some seem to think? A recent review proposed a range of impacts on health: reducing injuries was paramount, with effects on air quality, physical activity, and stress being less certain (Dean et al, 2019). However, a study in the USA found that the number of pedestrians that could be detected by an AV prior to a fatal collision ranged from below 30% to above 90%, a range that is not reassuring (Combs et al, 2019).…”