The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has released a new report on Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), which support drivers with some driving tasks.
The report states that drivers may lack appropriate knowledge about ADAS – referred to as their mental model – which can translate to misusing or mistrusting the technologies especially in situations beyond the capability of the system, known as edge cases.
AAA said past research suggests that mental models may be improved through exposure to ADAS-related driving situations. The latest study looked at the impact of different numbers and types of edge-case events on drivers’ understanding of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), their trust, their workload, and their use of the systems after driving with ACC.
The study suggested when introducing ADAS-equipped vehicles to new users, an “effective strategy should consider targeted exposure to different situations either through direct experience or through training” and underlined the importance of experience and familiarity with ADAS for safe operation.
