A giant pink teddy bear has been used to measure the situational awareness of drivers in America in a new study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS).

Researchers dressed an enormous stuffed bear in a high-visibility jacket and strapped it to the back of a car and then compared whether three different groups of drivers noticed the bizarre tailpiece when the vehicle overtook them.

In the study, IIHS observed 31 drivers as they drove a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300. Two sets of drivers drove with the Mercedes-Benz’s partially automated feature switched on, one group regularly used a similar system in their own vehicle while the other had little or no experience with them.

The third group was also unfamiliar with the automation feature and completed the trip in the same vehicle with it switched off.

The feature continuously controls acceleration, braking and steering to keep the vehicle traveling at a set speed in the center of its lane while maintaining a selected following distance from the vehicle ahead.

The study showed almost all of the drivers who had the vehicle’s system switched on and were familiar with it noticed the bear. They were also more likely than the other groups to correctly recall the number of times it had appeared during the drive.

Researchers said the results suggested that partially automated driving systems have the potential to improve drivers’ situational awareness after they have gained experience using the technology.

“That big pink teddy bear could lead to a better understanding of attention issues that are critical for safety,” said IIHS Research Scientist Alexandra Mueller, who developed the concept.