Expectations and Understanding of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems among Drivers, Pedestrians, Bicyclists, and Public Transit Riders

July 1st, 2021

Vehicle technology has progressed significantly over the past 20 years to the point where automated systems can now take on different aspects of a vehicle’s control. Because of their complexity, it is important that drivers understand their systems, their role and their function. Unfortunately, many studies have revealed that drivers have a poor understanding of vehicle technology. While drivers play a central role in the effective and appropriate use of these technologies, these systems do not affect only drivers of such vehicles. Other road users such as bicyclists and pedestrians must interact with these vehicles safely and, as such, it is important to examine their perceptions, understanding and expectations concerning these systems.

The current project, based on a cooperative research program between the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the SAFER-SIM University Transportation Center, sought to examine the perceptions, understanding and expectations of other road users, including bicyclists and pedestrians, related to current advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), as well as more highly automated future technologies. Specifically, it addressed the following questions:

Do drivers and other road users differ in their perceptions and understanding of ADAS technology?
Do drivers and other road users differ in trust and expectations of ADAS technology in specific use cases?
Do drivers and other road users differ in their outlook of the future of automated vehicle technology?

Read the full study here.