AV drivers need help for safe handovers, says RAC

Drivers will need help preparing for unexpected situations where their autonomous vehicle (AV) hands back control, warns the RAC Foundation. RAC carried out a study in the UK with the Human Factors Research Group at the University of Nottingham on 49 people of varying ages using a driving simulator on a ‘commute-style’ journey for five days in a row. During the trial, the drivers demonstrated significant lateral movement (lane swerving) when control was handed back to them, even after being provided
July 19, 2019 Read time: 3 mins

Drivers will need help preparing for unexpected situations where their autonomous vehicle (AV) hands back control, warns the 4961 RAC Foundation.

RAC carried out a study in the UK with the Human Factors Research Group at the University of Nottingham on 49 people of varying ages using a driving simulator on a ‘commute-style’ journey for five days in a row.

During the trial, the drivers demonstrated significant lateral movement (lane swerving) when control was handed back to them, even after being provided with advanced warnings. Around half of the participants had to look at the floor to check their feet were on the correct peddles when asked to retake control.

Despite this, the drivers were able to keep the vehicle straight when presented with an emergency handover on the fourth day involving severe weather. This could be because of the hyper-vigilance induced by the prospect of danger, RAC says.

Professor Gary Burnett, chair of transport human factors at the university, says steering performance immediately following a handover can be poor, indicating the importance of “new forms of training to equip drivers with the additional skills needed in these vehicles”.

“The results also highlight that any future automated vehicle that can be human-driven should incorporate appropriate technology to monitor how ready a driver is to resume control and assist them in this process,” Burnett adds.

Additionally, the trial set out to explore how participants may choose to spend their time after selecting the ‘automated driving’ option during the 20 minute dual carriageway section of the journey.

Eight out of ten drivers commonly used their smartphones while a quarter read books or newspapers at least once during the week. Others worked on laptops.

Those who looked away from the road while the vehicle was in autonomous mode increased from 70% on day one to 80% by day five, indicating an increase in trust by the end of the trial.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, says designers are going to have to “apply their minds” to circumstances where drivers will be invited or required to retake control if “conditionally-automated vehicles” are to be allowed on public roads.

“The very real likelihood is that, at best those motorists will need plenty of warning to set down their papers or close their laptop and, at worst, still more time to wake from slumber,” he continues. “Re-taking control of a speeding car is a dangerous task, and the idea of the human driver being available to take over in an emergency looks to be fraught with difficulty.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • When caring about sharing is good business for US automakers
    October 28, 2015
    Although car-sharing and ride-sharing could drastically reduce car sales, David Crawford finds some US automakers are keen to participate in the sharing economy. Growing consumer interest in car- and ride-sharing, as opposed to outright ownership, and ride-sharer Uber’s recently stated intention to make its brand competitive with ownership on cost, are making the major US automotive manufacturers think seriously about their future sales prospects. Some have already begun exploring ways of entering the field
    Read More
  • Cost benefit goes under the microscope
    August 21, 2017
    Conventional cost benefit analysis (CBA) of plans for urban smart mobility initiatives needs serious rethinking, according to a recently-completed European study. The three-year Evidence Project (the Project) emerged in response to concerns about the availability and quality of documented research – including CBA – required to prove that investment in sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMPs) can be economically beneficial. Covering 22 sectors ranging from electric vehicles to shared spaces, the Project clai
    Read More
  • UK ITS professionals doubt driverless car timescales
    February 6, 2018
    Only one member of ITS (UK) thinks that level five driverless cars will be on the country’s roads by 2021, as suggested by chancellor Philip Hammond in the autumn budget. The results showed a near 50/50 split between those who expect fully driverless cars to be available within 15 years and those who think it will take longer to become widespread.
    Read More
  • Intersection collision avoidance system trial
    January 31, 2012
    Although much of the emphasis of research into intersection management has tended to concentrate on the needs of urban locations, there remain specific issues pertaining to rural intersections which need to be addressed. Here, Rebecca Szymkowski and Greg Helgeson, Wisconsin DOT, Todd Szymkowski, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Craig Shankwitz and Arvind Menon, University of Minnesota detail progress on an intersection collision avoidance system for more remote locations.
    Read More

Highlighted Content