ADAS User Attentiveness

The project was to provide an evidence-based summary of the research conducted into the risks resulting from new driving assistance technologies that take over much of the control element of the driving tasks and the consequent temptation for the driver to engage in non-driving related tasks, many of which are illegal or even just to lose the necessary attention to the road and traffic situation.

International regulation for such assistance systems is currently being developed at UNECE by Task Force ADAS. The initial regulation for the so-called Driver Control Assistance System (DCAS) is for a system that requires hands-on driving, but a second stage is planned to consider hands-off driving , where the vehicle would provide longitudinal and lateral vehicle motion control on a sustained basis, leaving the driver in a purely supervisory role without any physical connection to the vehicle controls.

This could potentially exacerbate the problem of consequent inattention by the driver, even thought they would still be responsible for the safety of the dynamic driving task and would be required to pay attention to the road scene in order to intervene in control when necessary. The tasks were to review research evidence on driver attentiveness with both hands-on and hands-off assistance; to identify the potential for driver monitoring systems to mitigate any problems; and to identify any significant knowledge gaps that might warrant further investigation.

Publications and outputs

ADAS User Attentiveness Report