Dot Conducts Tests On Driver’s Reaction To Computer Intervention While Driving

By Author: Marty Bay
Total Articles: 413
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The US Department of Transportation continues to explore the reaction of drivers and passengers on the intervention of automated safety technologies installed in most cars at the Michigan International Speedway today.

This study is conducted solicit the needed data that would eventually aid the agency in determining the computer programs and automated safety devices that would be included on vehicles sold to car finders in the future.

In addition to this, establishing the needed know how would further assist new car finders in selecting a particular car make and model that they would be purchasing or financing through the available auto financing deals in terms of safety.

The current study which involves 100 drivers and passengers is conducted at the Michigan International speedway. The participants are allowed to use vehicles equipped with computers that are capable of relaying each vehicle’s speed and location using wireless devices when shortage range.

What ...
... this test aims to obtain are the different sets of reactions that participants have while they are driving or riding a vehicle with automated safety devices that automatically apply each vehicle’s brakes when collision is possible. The system also allows the computers installed in each vehicle used to detect potential collision and make way for these computers to handle the situation.

However, the main concern of this test is not to measure the effectiveness of the computers or the automated safety devices installed in each car but to determine the reactions that every driver and passenger possess when the system takes the lead in handling the situation.

In short, the DOT wants to obtain information if the computers’ automatic reaction would help drivers or passengers not to panic or probably these technologies would further complicate the situation. Given these, the agency might be able to recommend as well as discourage car makers from using automated safety technologies on their vehicles based on the data obtained from the preliminary test.

Aside from this test, there would be a larger study that would be conducted later this year in Frankfurt, Germany. This will involve around 400 vehicles with vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems.

DOT’s own test will also continue in several cities within the US and this effort is supported by several car makers such as General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Honda.