Driver Training for Future Automated Vehicles

Source: RAC Foundation.

A new study by the University of Nottingham and the RAC Foundation suggests that behavioural training for drivers is paramount for the transition into the next stage of automated vehicles, known as level 3 automation1.

Researchers from the University’s Human Factors Research Group studied two groups of experienced drivers in a high-fidelity driving simulator to observe their behaviour while ‘driving’ a car with level 3 automation.

The study found that drivers who received behavioural training were more measured in their behaviour and better understood the car’s capabilities and limitations.

Key findings found in the behavioural training group:

• Significantly more likely to notice a potential hazard during the transition from automated to manual driving (in this case, a tailgating car), with 90% of drivers noticing the car in this group, compared to 24% of the operating manual group
• Made more measured decisions in lane change manoeuvre shortly after taking back manual control
• Spent more time preparing (e.g. acquiring knowledge of the road environment through mirror checks) before physically making the lane change
• Made more mirror checks in the run up to and during the lane change manoeuvre
• Checked their mirrors more frequently, even while the car was driving autonomously

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