Journal of Transportation Research

Journal of Transportation Research

Trust Gap in Driver Interaction with Autonomous Vehicles: A Comparison of Perceived Trust and Braking Behavior in a Driving Simulator

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mohammad Saeidi 1
Ali َAbdi Kordani 2
Hamid Mirzahossein 3
Ehsan Ramezani-Khansari 4
Amin Faridiaghdam 5
1 Ph.D., Candidate‌, Department of Civil Engineering - Transportation Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran.
2 rofessor, Department of Civil Engineering - Transportation Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran.
3 Professor, Department of Civil -Transportation Planning, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
4 Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering - Transportation Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
5 Ph.D., Candidate, Department of Civil -Transportation Planning, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
10.22034/tri.2026.588098.3471
Abstract
This paper aims to investigate the gap between perceived trust and behavioral trust among drivers interacting with autonomous vehicles. To this end, questionnaire data and behavioral data obtained from a driving simulator were analyzed simultaneously, and the autonomous vehicle’s behavior was also used as a baseline for comparison. The study sample consisted of 46 participants who provided both perceptual and behavioral data. Perceived trust was measured through a questionnaire in two levels: initial trust and post-simulator experiential trust. Actual behavior was analyzed based on braking indicators, including the number of braking events, mean braking intensity, and braking intensity variability. The results showed that the average number of braking events for human drivers (35.56 vs. 21 in the autonomous vehicle) was approximately 69% higher than that of the autonomous vehicle. In addition, mean braking intensity (0.405 vs. 0.359) and braking intensity variability (0.225 vs. 0.211) were also higher in human drivers. In contrast, the average time interval between braking events was shorter for human drivers than for the autonomous vehicle. Furthermore, no significant correlation was found between questionnaire-based trust measures and behavioral indicators. Overall, the findings indicate that despite relatively positive self-reported trust levels in the questionnaire, drivers’ actual behavior remains more interventionist than the reference autonomous driving behavior. This suggests a significant gap between perceived trust and behavioral trust in human interaction with autonomous vehicles.
Keywords
Autonomous vehicles
perceived trust
behavioral trust
trust gap
driving simulator
Subjects
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Journal of Transportation Research
Volume 23, Issue 4
Autumn 2026
Pages 247-266