Study Reveals Automated Driving Is Making Drivers More Distracted Than Ever

By Author: jamescolin
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Autonomous vehicle technology has made significant strides in recent years, offering the promise of cars that can drive themselves while allowing drivers to engage in other activities. However, current systems still have limitations when it comes to handling all the complexities of real-world driving. Because of this, drivers must remain attentive and ready to take control when needed. Some drivers, however, find ways to circumvent the systems designed to ensure they stay focused. To better understand how people interact with partially automated vehicles, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducted a study, and the findings are eye-opening.

According to an IIHS news release, drivers are more likely to multitask when using vehicles with partial automation, even if they appear to follow the system’s attention guidelines. The study was carried out with MIT’s AgeLab and included research on two major partial automation systems: Volvo’s Pilot Assist and Tesla’s Autopilot. Both systems use cameras and sensors to maintain the vehicle’s position in its lane and adjust speed to match traffic. However, ...
... the driver is still required to stay attentive and be prepared to take over at any moment.

The first study involved 29 participants driving Volvo S90 sedans equipped with Pilot Assist. The research spanned three years and included software updates designed to improve lane-centering and attention reminders. Participants were divided into three groups based on when they drove the vehicle. Researchers found that as drivers grew more comfortable with the system, they were more likely to multitask, with activities like eating, grooming, and using electronic devices becoming more common. In fact, over 30% of drivers who experienced all the system updates engaged in multitasking while driving.

The second study looked at 14 participants driving a 2020 Tesla Model 3 with Autopilot. The focus was on how often drivers triggered attention warnings and how they responded to escalating reminders, which can lead to an emergency stop if ignored. While most drivers responded to the system's alerts within three seconds, there were 72 instances of delayed reactions, and in 16 cases, the system locked out. As drivers became more familiar with Autopilot, they took both hands off the wheel more frequently, leading to an increase in attention warnings.

IIHS President David Harkey commented on the findings, saying, “If you train drivers to believe that paying attention only means lightly touching the steering wheel, that’s what they’ll do.” Ian Reagan, lead author of the first study, noted that distractions increased across all groups, regardless of the system’s improvements. Alexandra Mueller, lead author of the second study, highlighted the need for more robust safeguards to ensure that drivers stay focused.

These findings point to a critical need for automakers to rethink their approach to driver attention systems, especially as we move closer to a future of fully autonomous vehicles.

Read More: https://www.techdogs.com/tech-news/td-newsdesk/study-reveals-automated-driving-is-making-drivers-more-distracted-than-ever