Drivers quickly learn to skirt limits set by partial automation systems (IIHS)

Drivers are more likely to multitask when using partial automation, and some manage to do so even while playing by the rules of the system’s attention requirements, new research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows.

“These results are a good reminder of the way people learn,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “If you train them to think that paying attention means nudging the steering wheel every few seconds, then that’s exactly what they’ll do.”

Drivers were much more likely to check their phones, eat a sandwich or do other visual-manual activities while using Volvo’s Pilot Assist partial automation system than when driving unassisted, a month-long study of driver behavior conducted by IIHS and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s AgeLab showed. The tendency to multitask also increased over time for some drivers as they grew more comfortable with the technology, while others were more distracted while using the system from the start.

Meanwhile, many drivers using Tesla’s Autopilot system quickly mastered the timing interval of its attention reminder feature so that they could prevent warnings from escalating to more serious interventions, another IIHS-AgeLab study found. Some people used this skill to continue engaging in distracting behaviors, punctuated by quick moves to stop the alerts.

“In both these studies, drivers adapted their behavior to engage in distracting activities,” Harkey said. “This demonstrates why partial automation systems need more robust safeguards to prevent misuse.”

Using cameras and other sensors, partial automation systems can keep your car moving down the road in the center of the lane at the speed you select, slowing down to avoid other vehicles and then accelerating again when the way is clear. However, drivers are supposed to pay close attention to what’s happening on the road and be ready to take over at any time. As the new studies show, not all drivers do.

Visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website to learn more about the studies.