Safety and experience of other drivers while interacting with automated vehicle platoons

It is currently unknown how automated vehicle platoons will be perceived by other road users in their vicinity. This study explores how drivers of manually operated passenger cars interact with automated passenger car platoons while merging onto a highway, and how different inter-vehicular gaps between the platooning vehicles affect their experience and safety. The study was conducted in a driving simulator and involved 16 drivers of manually operated cars. The results show that the drivers found the interactions mentally demanding, unsafe, and uncomfortable. They commonly expected that the platoon would adapt its behavior to accommodate a smooth merge. They also expressed a need for additional information about the platoon to easier anticipate its behavior and avoid cutting-in. This was, however, affected by the gap size; larger gaps (30 and 42.5 m) yielded better experience, more frequent cut-ins, and less crashes than the shorter gaps (15 and 22.5 m). A conclusion is that a short gap as well as external human–machine interfaces (eHMI) might be used to communicate the platoon’s intent to “stay together”, which in turn might prevent drivers from cutting-in. On the contrary, if the goal is to facilitate frequent, safe, and pleasant cut-ins, gaps larger than 22.5 m may be suitable. To thoroughly inform such design trade-offs, the authors urge for more research on this topic.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2021.100381
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198221000889
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/25901982
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2021 Maytheewat Aramrattana, Azra Habibovic, and Cristofer Englund. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Aramrattana, Maytheewat
  • Habibovic, Azra
  • Englund, Cristofer
• Publication Date: 2021-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 100381
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
  • Volume: 10
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 2590-1982
  • Serial URL: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/transportation-research-interdisciplinary-perspectives
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile drivers; Autonomous vehicles; Connected vehicles; Gap acceptance; Highway safety; Traffic platooning
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01783495
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 28 2021 11:30AM