Effects of Passenger Distraction on the Operation of an Automated Vehicle
Disciplines
Experimental Analysis of Behavior | Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract (300 words maximum)
How does a talkative passenger in the front seat affect a driver’s behavior when trying to avoid a crash? Would the presence of a passenger in the car influence the driver to steer in a certain direction? To answer this question, we used a virtual driving simulator and instructed participants to monitor the simulated automated vehicle (AV) as it navigated eight driving scenarios. The participants were instructed only to intervene manually if they felt the vehicle was about to crash. Additionally, we had a researcher ask a series of pre-determined questions for the driver to answer to simulate a conversation. At some point in each scenario, the simulated AV was programmed to discontinue automated driving, forcing the driver to control the car manually. The response behavior, turning direction, and crash status of each driver was analyzed.
Keywords: self-driving vehicle, car crash, silent failure, response behavior
Academic department under which the project should be listed
Department of Psychological Science
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Kyung Jung
Effects of Passenger Distraction on the Operation of an Automated Vehicle
How does a talkative passenger in the front seat affect a driver’s behavior when trying to avoid a crash? Would the presence of a passenger in the car influence the driver to steer in a certain direction? To answer this question, we used a virtual driving simulator and instructed participants to monitor the simulated automated vehicle (AV) as it navigated eight driving scenarios. The participants were instructed only to intervene manually if they felt the vehicle was about to crash. Additionally, we had a researcher ask a series of pre-determined questions for the driver to answer to simulate a conversation. At some point in each scenario, the simulated AV was programmed to discontinue automated driving, forcing the driver to control the car manually. The response behavior, turning direction, and crash status of each driver was analyzed.
Keywords: self-driving vehicle, car crash, silent failure, response behavior