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Recent research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveals that drivers are adapting to partial automation systems in ways that undermine safety features. Drivers often multitask, sometimes exploiting the systems’ attention reminders to skirt their safety mechanisms. This study shows a growing need for improved safeguards in these systems to prevent misuse and ensure driver engagement.
Key Highlights:
- Drivers increasingly multitask while using partial automation systems like Volvo’s Pilot Assist and Tesla’s Autopilot.
- Some drivers manage to adhere to attention requirements while still engaging in distracting activities.
- Over time, drivers became more comfortable and distracted with these systems, demonstrating a misuse of their safety features.
- The research shows that partial automation systems need better safeguards to prevent driver disengagement.
Drivers are becoming adept at multitasking when using partial automation systems, with many even adhering to the systems’ attention requirements while engaging in distracting behaviors, according to research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s AgeLab. This suggests that drivers are learning to game the systems, exploiting their attention reminders to avoid more serious interventions.
“These results are a good reminder of the way people learn,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “If you train them to think that paying attention means nudging the steering wheel every few seconds, then that’s exactly what they’ll do.”
In a monthlong study, drivers using Volvo’s Pilot Assist partial automation system were significantly more likely to engage in distracting activities such as checking their phones or eating, compared to when they were driving without assistance. Some drivers also became more comfortable and distracted over time as they adjusted to the technology. Others, however, were distracted right from the start.
Similarly, drivers using Tesla’s Autopilot system quickly learned to manipulate the timing of the system’s attention reminders, preventing them from escalating into more serious interventions. “In both these studies, drivers adapted their behavior to engage in distracting activities,” said Harkey, emphasizing the need for stronger safety measures in partial automation systems.
Partial automation systems, using cameras and sensors, help maintain lane position and speed, slowing or accelerating as needed. However, drivers are still expected to remain attentive and be ready to take control at any moment. As the studies show, not all drivers comply with these requirements.
In the first study, researchers analyzed the driving habits of 29 volunteers driving a 2017 Volvo S90 with Pilot Assist. The study monitored their behavior over four weeks, noting the increase in multitasking over time. Researchers found that all groups—regardless of the version of the system used—engaged in more distracting activities while using the automation than when driving unassisted. This distraction worsened for some drivers during the second half of the study period, highlighting a growing comfort level with the system.
“We saw some differences in how the three groups used Pilot Assist, but we couldn’t say for sure they were related to the software changes,” said Ian Reagan, Senior Research Scientist at IIHS. “The takeaway for me was that the technology was linked to more distraction for all three.”
The second study, focusing on Tesla’s Autopilot, tracked the behavior of 14 volunteers who had never used partial automation before. Over 12,000 miles of driving, participants triggered nearly 3,858 attention-related warnings from the system. Most warnings were minor, but some escalated to serious interventions, with 16 drivers experiencing full system lockouts.
From the first to the fourth week, initial attention reminders increased by 26%, while serious escalations decreased by 64%, suggesting that drivers learned to manipulate the system effectively. However, multitasking continued, with drivers showing more disengagement in the moments surrounding attention reminders.
“These results show that escalating, multimodal attention reminders are very effective in getting drivers to change their behavior,” said Alexandra Mueller, IIHS Senior Research Scientist and the study’s lead author. “However, better safeguards are needed to ensure that the behavior change actually translates to more attentive driving.”
The studies underscore the need for improved safety measures in partial automation systems, ensuring drivers remain focused on the road and prevent further exploitation of attention reminder features.
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