The role of human operators in safety perception of av deployment—insights from a large european survey

Autonomous vehicles are anticipated to play an important role on future mobility offering encouraging solutions to today’s transport problems. However, concerns of the public, which can affect the AVs’ uptake, are yet to be addressed. This study presents relevant findings of an online survey in eight European countries. First, 1639 responses were collected in Spring 2020 on people’s commute, preferred transport mode, willingness to use AVs and demographic details. Data was analyzed for the entire dataset and for vulnerable road users in particular. Results re-confirm the long-lasting discourse on the importance of safety on the acceptance of AVs. Spearman correlations show that age, gender, education level and number of household members have an impact on how people may be using or allowing their children to use the technology, e.g., with or without the presence of a human supervisor in the vehicle. Results on vulnerable road users show the same trend. The elderly would travel in AVs with the presence of a human supervisor. People with disabilities have the same proclivity, however their reactions were more conservative. Next to safety, reliability, affordability, cost, driving pleasure and household size may also impact the uptake of AVs and shall be considered when designing relevant policies

Modeling cross-national differences in automated vehicle acceptance

The technology that allows fully automated driving already exists and it may gradually enter the market over the forthcoming decades. Technology assimilation and automated vehicle acceptance in different countries is of high interest to many scholars, manufacturers, and policymakers worldwide. We model the mode choice between automated vehicles and conventional cars using a mixed multinomial logit heteroskedastic error component type model. Specifically, we capture preference heterogeneity assuming a continuous distribution across individuals. Different choice scenarios, based on respondents’ reported trip, were presented to respondents from six European countries: Cyprus, Hungary, Iceland, Montenegro, Slovenia, and the UK. We found that large reservations towards automated vehicles exist in all countries with 70% conventional private car choices, and 30% automated vehicles choices. We found that men, under the age of 60, with a high income who currently use private car, are more likely to be early adopters of automated vehicles. We found significant differences in automated vehicles acceptance in different countries. Individuals from Slovenia and Cyprus show higher automated vehicles acceptance while individuals from wealthier countries, UK, and Iceland, show more reservations towards them. Nontrading mode choice behaviors, value of travel time, and differences in model parameters among the different countries are discussed

Using multivariate autoregressive state-space models to examine stock structure of Greenland halibut in the North Atlantic

Accurate information on population structure is essential for effective fisheries management. Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) in the North Atlantic is managed as four separate offshore stocks. We use Multivariate Autoregressive State-Space (MARSS) models to assess population structure by means of abundance and biomass trends in four regions (Norwegian Sea, Iceland, Southeast Greenland, and Northwest Atlantic) where three offshore stocks are recognized: (1) Baffin Bay–Davis Strait (Northwest Atlantic stock), (2) Southeast Greenland and Iceland (West Nordic stock (WNS)), and (3) the Barents and Norwegian Seas (Northeast Arctic stock). We formulated model alternatives, using bottom trawl survey data from each region for 1996–2019, to evaluate support for different population structures. Abundance and biomass observations from each region were linked to growth rate parameters in MARSS models and the impact of climate (North Atlantic Oscillation Index) and fishing (commercial catches) on stock dynamics was investigated. Top models identified the Northwest Atlantic as an independent population. Best-fit models treated Greenland halibut in the WNS as two independent populations (east and west), with potential connections between eastern Iceland and the western Barents Sea. These results suggest a mismatch between current stock perception and management boundaries in the Northeast Atlantic.publishedVersio

Tools and processes to support scenario based planning in Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management: lessons from seven European case studies

Trabajo presentado en la MareFrame Final Meeting (MareFrame Policy & Scientific Days / Conference Co-creation of Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management - MareFrame final meeting), celebrada en Bruselas el 13 y 14 de diciembre de 2017.N

Increasing the uptake of multispecies models in fisheries management

Multispecies models have existed in a fisheries context since at least the 1970s, but despite much exploration, advancement, and consideration of multispecies models, there remain limited examples of their operational use in fishery management. Given that species and fleet interactions are inherently multispecies problems and the push towards ecosystem-based fisheries management, the lack of more regular operational use is both surprising and compelling. We identify impediments hampering the regular operational use of multispecies models and provide recommendations to address those impediments. These recommendations are: (1) engage stakeholders and managers early and often; (2) improve messaging and communication about the various uses of multispecies models; (3) move forward with multispecies management under current authorities while exploring more inclusive governance structures and flexible decision-making frameworks for handling tradeoffs; (4) evaluate when a multispecies modelling approach may be more appropriate; (5) tailor the multispecies model to a clearly defined purpose; (6) develop interdisciplinary solutions to promoting multispecies model applications; (7) make guidelines available for multispecies model review and application; and (8) ensure code and models are well documented and reproducible. These recommendations draw from a global assemblage of subject matter experts who participated in a workshop entitled “Multispecies Modeling Applications in Fisheries Management”.publishedVersio