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With approximately 90% of road traffic accidents attributed to human error, it is widely assumed that driverless cars will lead to improved road safety. However, a new study at the University of Nottingham suggests that Level 3 automated vehicles may have an adverse effect on driver performance.
Conditional automation
While industry is pursuing the goal of fully autonomous vehicles, the first 'driverless cars' that are likely to be seen on public roads will not be fully autonomous but rather offer conditional automation. These vehicles, also referred to as Level 3 vehicles (on the Society of Automotive Engineers classification), are capable in certain scenarios of controlling all dynamic, non-strategic, driving activities but expect the human driver to intervene if required. Examples of this technology include traffic-jam assist.
The issue of transferring control between the vehicle and the human driver – known as 'handover' –has proved controversial. In particular, there is a significant debate as to whether this can be done safely as a matter of design. A split has emerged in industry as a result, with some manufacturers seeking to jump straight to Level 4 automation ('high automation) on the basis that it cannot.
The study
The study – How will drivers interact with vehicles of the future? – involved a group of 49 experienced drivers undertaking a 30-minute commute-style journey in a longitudinal driving simulator at the same time on each of five consecutive days. The journey involved periods of manual and automated driving. Each participant also brought with them their own devices and artifacts to use.
The aims of the study were to explore:
The results
The results of the study showed the following:
The study, a full copy of which is available here, provides interesting insights for how people will interact with Level 3 vehicles in practice nd, critically, how that may impact on their ability to take safe control of such vehicles on handover. This will be relevant to both policy makers and industry, particularly in relation to designing vehicles in a manner that satisfies a manufacturer's duty of care to consumers.
Interestingly, the authors of the report also conclude that the results indicate a strong need for new driver skills when it comes to vehicles with automated functionality, to ensure that drivers efficiently monitor system status displays, and are able to resume control smoothly and safely.
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