Driver assistance technologies have great promise, but in practice they allow some people to do things they shouldn't do behind the wheel.
Nothing seems to get people excited about driving more than the lure of having a computer do all the work for them. Why should we have to avoid potholes, find the correct route, and manage the traffic around us when a machine can do the job for us? Life is about more than keeping our eyes on the road. There are texts to read, computer games to play, and karaoke to sing.
In the first study, researchers analyzed how the driving behavior of 29 volunteers supplied with a 2017 Volvo S90 sedan equipped with Pilot Assist evolved over a four-week period. Specifically, they examined how likely drivers were to engage in non-driving activities when using the automation on highways relative to driving unassisted, and then evaluated how this relationship changed over time.
The first two groups were more likely to be distracted while driving with Pilot Assist during the second half of the month they had the vehicle than the first. Like the results of an earlier related study, this suggests that they became bolder or more complacent as they got used to the system. The third group was about equally likely to perform secondary tasks while using partial automation over the second two weeks as they were during the first two weeks.
The driver could indicate they were still engaged by making a slight steering adjustment, tapping the turn-signal stalk or toggling a dial on the steering wheel. If the system didn’t detect one of those responses soon enough, it would begin a series of escalating visual and audible alarms and alerts. As a last resort, Autopilot would slow the vehicle to a stop, then deactivate and deny the driver access to the feature for the rest of the trip.
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