VEHICLE AUTOMATION AND DRIVING PERFORMANCE

Vehicle automation is highly likely to be in service by the end of thi s century. While there are undoubtedly some benefits associated with s uch systems, there are some concerns also. This paper presents a revie w of studies addressing adaptive cruise control and active steering sy stems. These studies suggest that there may be some cause for concern. They show a reduction in mental workload, within a secondary task par adigm, associated with some forms of automation and some problems with reclaiming control of the vehicle in failure scenarios. It is suggest ed that more research and development effort needs to be spent on look ing at vehicle automation and driving performance.