Human Factors of Automated Driving

In this chapter, we discuss the human factors of driving automation. First, we go into the objectives of driving automation, and conclude that, from a safety perspective, attempts to automate driving certainly make sense. However, full automation will not appear in the market overnight, and consumers will be exposed to intermediate levels of automation. We discuss issues with different levels of automation, and what they mean for design. Furthermore, we discuss human factors issues that apply to all levels of automation: how to make sure that people understand and trust the automated system; what needs for shared control may be expected; what may be expected with regards to acquisition and loss of driving skill; what ethical issues may arise and how should these be dealt with; and, finally, do interests of individual customers and society in automated driving converge; if not, how can design contribute towards a solution. Finally, we go into design consequences and opportunities of the fact that automated vehicles will interact with other road users.