Connected and automated transport systems are expected to be introduced in increasing numbers over the next decade based on the rapidly developing capability of modern technologies. Connected vehicles are conventional vehicles, enhanced by various electronic devices, which enable vehicle and infrastructure connection through V2X systems. These vehicles enable drivers to gain more information about their surroundings. Automated vehicles are capable of detecting the road environment and navigating without human assistance. There are different levels of automation depending on the driver’s role and the functions provided.

The aim of this Ph.D. thesis is to provide a comprehensive impact assessment of connected and automated transport systems. The questions that are expected to be answered through the impact assessment are:

  • When full automation is achieved, will there be the expected dramatic reduction of accidents?
  • Will there be the expected effectiveness in terms of economy, energy, the environment and mobility?
  • What will be the effects during the transition period, where conventional and automated vehicles of different levels of automation will share the road?

The main expected results of this Ph.D. thesis concern the impacts on road safety, the environment, the economy and other significant socio-economic impacts, as well as the assessment of the overall future impacts of connected and automated transport systems on the development of smart cities and the radical transformation of social life.