As autonomous driving technology advances, effective communication between autonomous vehicles (AVs) and road users becomes essential. This study focused on external labels indicating the driving mode of AVs as a form of eHMIs and investigated how road scenarios and psychological factors influence their acceptance. A total of 302 participants, grouped as drivers or pedestrians, completed questionnaires across two decision-making scenarios. Overall, participants reported positive attitudes towards AV labels, with stronger demand when AVs made up 20% of road traffic. Women exhibited lower risk attitudes and higher support for external labels. Self-identity and risk attitude significantly predicted participants' acceptance, with risk attitude mediating the effect of self-identity. These findings suggest that psychological, environmental, and user-related factors should be considered in eHMI design to support safer interactions and improve trust in AVs, particularly in mixed-traffic environments.
He et al. (2026) studied this question.