Warum verspüren wir Unbehagen bei automatisiert fahrenden Zügen?

Why do we worry about the thought of traveling through the countryside at 250 km/h in an automated train? There may not be an engine driver on board, but the train is still being monitored, in this case by train dispatchers in signal boxes.

But why are we afraid of an empty driver's cab in a full train? Dr. Ralf Buchstaller is a psychologist who heads the Medical-Psychological Institute at TÜV NORD in Hamburg. He is convinced that we humans need time to gain trust. This applies both to interpersonal relationships and to technology. Technology does not take giant steps in development, but small ones. “We need these small steps so that we realize that it works well and safely. That way, we can slowly learn how to use the new technology.”

A second aspect is the habituation effect: the longer you use something, the more normal it becomes in everyday life, and “you lose your fear because experience shows that everything works well and safely”. People who get on the subway in Nuremberg will no longer think about the fact that there is no driver in the railcar. It has been fully automated since 2008.

After all, according to the psychologist, you should always bear in mind that the human factor, which is often responsible for accidents and disruptions, is not involved in an automated train. Uncertainties or failure of safety systems are comprehensively calculated and therefore almost impossible.

So anyone who gets on an automated train with a worried look on their face should remember other experiences with things that were initially viewed very skeptically, but which have become a matter of course over the years: For a very long time, the elevator was operated by elevator attendants; with the invention of button operation, all users themselves were responsible for selecting the destination floor. Today, this is a matter of course. When seat belts were introduced in cars, there was a great deal of concern about this safety system, but today everyone is aware of its life-saving function. Online banking is secure thanks to encryption technology, whereas ten years ago there was no way around the bank transfer slip, which had to be handed into the bank in order for the transfer to be executed. At the moment, cell phones and smartwatches are revolutionizing payment at the supermarket checkout. “A certain amount of scepticism is healthy,” says Dr. Buchstaller, ”but in the end, positive experiences win out.”

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