Negative Behavioral Adaptation to Lane-Keeping Assistance Systems

In addition to the improvement of driving comfort, modern advanced driver assistance systems also aim to substantially increase traffic safety. Meanwhile, initial optimism with respect to potential safety gains has given way to a more critical view. There is, for example, a danger that continued use is associated with drivers systematically adapting their behavior to the new systems in a negative manner. According to theoretical considerations, excessive trust in such systems may lead to the development of a tendency for the driver to delegate safety-relevant aspects of the driving task to the system, which, in cases where system limits are reached, can result in the driver and other road users being endangered. The present study examined this phenomenon in the context of lateral control assistance. In a field experiment, it was specifically investigated whether drivers who had become familiar with a heading control system developed excessive trust in the system and misjudged its limits. This question was addressed in a driving trial in which, unbeknown to the driver, the heading control system was repeatedly deactivated and the driver's behavior and lane control were observed. Analysis of subjective and objective data clearly demonstrated that drivers did not develop excessive trust in the system and accordingly regulated lateral control to a sufficient degree even after prolonged exposure to the system. Negative behavioral adaptation to the heading control system was thus not observed.