Is There a Predisposition towards the Use of New Technologies within the Traffic Field of Emerging Countries? The Case of the Dominican Republic

Abstract

Technological devices are becoming more and more integrated in the management and control of traffic in big cities. The population perceives the benefits provided by these systems, and, therefore, citizens usually have a favorable opinion of them. However, emerging countries, which have fewer available infrastructures, could present a certain lack of trust. The objective of this work is to detect the level of knowledge and predisposition towards the use of new technologies in the transportation field of the Dominican Republic. For this study, the National Survey on Mobility was administered to a sample of Dominican citizens, proportional to the ONE census and to sex, age and province. The knowledge of ITS topics, as well as the use of mobile applications for mobility, are scarce; however, there was a significant increase that can be observed in only one year. Moreover, technology is, in general, positively assessed for what concerns the improvement of the traffic field, even though there is a lack of predisposition to provide one’s personal data, which is necessary for these devices. The process of technological development in the country must be backed up by laws that protect the citizens’ privacy. Thus, technologies that can improve road safety, mobility and sustainability can be implemented in the country.

Citizens’ Perceptions in Relation to Transport Systems and Infrastructures: A Nationwide Study in the Dominican Republic

“…The results of this study may be of great use to the authorities of the Dominican Republic and other emerging countries with similar contexts and characteristics [9]. This is the first step before the planning, design, and implementation of concrete actions to improve mobility and, consequently, the pollution levels produced by the large number of trips in private transport.…”

“…The idiosyncrasies of these countries exacerbate this situation due to several factors [8]. On the one hand, the existing infrastructures are deficient, and there is a lack of technological systems [9,10]. Further, technical reports frequently show how inadequately constructed sidewalks and roads with obstacles hinder the flow of traffic, endangering users' urban trips.…”

“…These factors include, e.g., the region's size, tourism density, the degree of urbanization and motorization, and government strategies [15,16]. In the particular case of the Dominican Republic, the large annual volume of tourists is, in fact, one of the reasons that have allowed the wider development of the road network, as well as the conditions and coverage of public transport services [9].…”

Autonomous Vehicles and Vulnerable Road-Users—Important Considerations and Requirements Based on Crash Data from Two Countries

“…Further research should also be conducted to understand how the results presented here transfer to countries that are less developed, that would receive great road safety benefits from CAVs but face very different challenges. For example, the work in [45] highlighted issues such as trust, and acceptance is particularly challenging in countries that currently have very little advanced technology within the transport system. The views and behaviours of road-users in less developed countries, particularly VRUs, must be understood by CAV developers to ensure that CAVs are implemented safely and successfully in these areas.…”

Analysis of the Impact of Countdown Signal Timers on Driving Behavior and Road Safety

“…If the MOEs improve in a given situation, it is also possible to observe a reduction in fuel consumption. It should be noted that assistive steering devices are positively assessed, but confidence in them varies from country to country [102]. In the event of their use, particular attention should be paid to the intelligibility of the messages conveyed.…”