New car safety ratings will assess effectiveness of partial automation systems – SILive.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As partial automation systems like adaptive cruise control (ACC) and automated lane changing become more and more common in vehicles, a new set of safety ratings will give drivers a better understanding of the effectiveness of these technologies.

Earlier this month, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announced that it will develop a new system that will rate a vehicles partial automation systems as good, acceptable, marginal or poor.

In order to earn a good rating, the technologies will need to ensure that drivers are looking at the road at all times, and that they are either holding the wheel or are ready to grab it. Additionally, the technologies must include alert systems and emergency procedures that are prompted when the driver is not adhering to the aforementioned conditions.

Partial automation systems may make long drives seem like less of a burden, but there is no evidence that they make driving safer, said IIHS President David Harkey. In fact, the opposite may be the case if systems lack adequate safeguards.

Other requirements for to earn a good rating include:

The IIHS intends to release the first round of partial automation ratings sometime in 2022, though the organization noted that the exact release date remains uncertain due to the ongoing supply chain shortage making it more difficult to obtain cars to test.

Nobody knows when well have true self-driving cars, if ever. As automakers add partial automation to more and more vehicles, its imperative that they include effective safeguards that help drivers keep their heads in the game, Harkey said.

OVER-RELIANCE ON PARTIAL AUTOMATION

Safety experts said they hope the new rating system will discourage motorists from leaning too heavily on their cars partial automation systems, with many drivers having become over-reliant on the technologies, leading them to engage in dangerous driving behaviors.

The way many of these systems operate gives people the impression that theyre capable of doing more than they really are, said IIHS Research Scientist Alexandra Mueller, who is leading the new ratings program.

But even when drivers understand the limitations of partial automation, their minds can still wander. As humans, its harder for us to remain vigilant when were watching and waiting for a problem to occur than it is when were doing all the driving ourselves, Mueller added.

In 2019, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released research showing that drivers with experience with partial automation systems were nearly twice as likely to engage in distracted driving than drivers who were less familiar with the systems.

This new research suggests that as drivers gain more experience using advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technology, they could develop complacency while behind the wheel, said Dr. David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Over-reliance on these systems can put drivers and others in dangerous conditions during critical moments.

The AAA Foundation partnered with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute to observe and analyze the driving behavior of two groups of drivers using ADAS technology. The first group consisted of drivers who used their own vehicles and were already familiar with the advanced systems. The second group of drivers were previously unfamiliar with the use of ADAS technology, but were given a vehicle with the advanced systems to use during the four-week study.

Research showed that those familiar with the advanced systems were 80% more likely to engage in distracted driving, such as texting or switching songs, while the systems were active than those who were less familiar with them.

According to Virginia Tech researchers, drivers reliance on ADAS increases as the individual becomes more comfortable with the technology. At first, drivers are less inclined to trust the new systems, causing them to remain attentive while driving. However, as familiarity increases, drivers often become over-reliant on the technology, making them more likely to participate in distracted driving.

Advanced driver assistance technologies have a lot to offer in terms of comfort and safety, but they should never replace an attentive and engaged driver, said Dr. William Van Tassel, AAA manager of driver training programs.

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New car safety ratings will assess effectiveness of partial automation systems - SILive.com