Investigating the impact of driving automation systems on distracted driving behaviors

Driving automation systems (e.g., SAE Level 2) ultimately aim to enhance the comfort and safety of drivers. At present, these systems are able to control some portions of the driving task (e.g., braking, steering) for extended time periods, giving drivers the opportunity to disengage from the responsibilities associated with driving. In this study, data derived from two naturalistic driving studies involving automation-equipped vehicles were analyzed to evaluate driver behaviors with respect to driving automation system use, specifically distraction-related factors (i.e., secondary task engagement, eye-glance behavior, and drowsiness). The results indicate that when drivers had prior experience using driving automation systems, they were almost two times as likely to participate in distracted driving behaviors when the systems were active than during manual driving. Drivers with less experience and familiarity with driving automation systems were less likely to drive distracted when the systems were active; however, these drivers tended to be somewhat drowsy when driving with systems activated. The results provide important insights into different operational phases of driving automation system use (i.e., learning/unfamiliar vs experienced users), whereby experience results in overtrust and overreliance on the advanced technologies, which subsequently may negate some of the safety benefits of these systems. Thus, while the safety benefits of driving automation systems are evident, it is imperative to better understand the impact these advanced technologies may have on driver behavior and performance in order to evaluate and address any unintended consequences associated with system use.