Challenges to Human Drivers in Increasingly Automated Vehicles.

Area of Science:

• Information technology applications in transportation.
• Socio-technical systems analysis.

Background:

• On-road vehicle automation is progressing towards fully driverless operation.
• Technological integration, infrastructure improvements, and crash-free driving visions drive this progress.
• Current vehicles already incorporate significant and rapidly advancing automation technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between current vehicle automation progress and the vision of a driverless "autopia."
• To identify critical challenges in the transitional phase of vehicle automation.
• To discuss safety issues associated with the evolving role of the human driver.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary expert team convened to discuss challenges.
• Focus on the transitional phase where drivers monitor and supervise automated operations.

Main Results:

• Vehicle automation is a critical information technology application impacting transportation efficiency and safety.
• Five key challenges were identified: driver independence/mobility, acceptance/trust, failure management, third-party testing, and political support.
• Road transport is a life-critical system where automation failures have severe consequences.

Conclusions:

• Vehicle automation represents a social and technological revolution, not solely technical innovation.
• This revolution involves both costs and benefits.
• Addressing identified challenges is crucial for successful implementation.