New research suggests verbal cues could make semi-automated driving safer

Semi-automated cars are becoming increasingly common, but real dangers exist when the technology fails and drivers don’t intervene.

New research from Rice University and Old Dominion University suggests that the verbal prompt “Is January the first month of the year?” Help drivers maintain focus during semi-automated driving.

“Boring but Demanding: Using Secondary Tasks to Combat Driver Alertness Deficits for Partially Automated Driving” is published in the journal Human Factors: Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Jing Chen, assistant professor of psychological science at Rice and senior author of the study, was interested in learning more about how to make semi-automated driving a safer experience with fewer accidents.

“As recent self-driving tragedies have illustrated, this technology is not always perfect at identifying dangerous situations, including objects on the road,” she said. “Identifying these threats and responding in a secure manner is sometimes more difficult for automation.”

Chen cited a recent study of his that showed human users don’t understand how easily computer vision can be tricked. He gave an example of how carefully designed stickers attached to road signs can be misclassified as critical to safety. As a result, the human driver may need to prepare for the limits of the automated system and assist or control the vehicle.

In the study, 117 students from Old Dominion participated in a simulated, partially automated driving task. The researchers found that drivers’ attention decreased during the 45-minute task, but asking eight simple questions at random times during the drive significantly increased attention, which was demonstrated by faster and better responses to hazards.

“Better attention lets drivers know when to look for a hazard or operate an automated driving system, which can help prevent accidents,” Chen said.

Scott Mishler, a doctoral student at Old Dominion, was the study’s lead author.