The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has issued recommendations on the design of partially automated driving systems and how to keep drivers focused on the road.
Today's partially automated systems still need the driver to be involved at all times. Designs should also be based on a principle of shared control, and they should have built-in limits that prevent them from being used on roads and under conditions where it isn't safe to do so, IIHS researchers say.
Research has shown that the more sophisticated and reliable automation becomes, the harder it is for a driver to remain vigilant, according to the report.
Recommendations are based on the idea that just because technology can accomplish certain tasks, doesn't mean it should. For example lane-centering systems should be designed to allow the driver to make steering adjustments without prompting the function to switch off. When the vehicle is in a safe position near the center of the lane, the steering wheel should provide minimal feedback.
