Exploring Individual Differences in Consumer Understanding of Partially Automated Driving Systems Before and After Exposure

Abstract

With the driver responsibilities that are required to safely operate ADAS driving systems, it is critical that users understand the capabilities and limitations of these systems. The present study was a secondary analysis of data from a previous study that examined driver understanding and expectations of an SAE L2 driving system after brief training and after brief on-road experience using the system. The current analysis examined the role of demographic and individual difference factors on driver understanding and perceptions of the system immediately after training as well as changes after brief experience using the system. Models were used to examine relationships between the demographic and individual difference factors and various outcomes related to understanding and expectations of the system. It was found that age, gender, prosocial driving scores, aggressive driving scores, and education level were significant predictors of participant understanding outcomes surveyed after system training. Gender, employment status, race and ethnicity, prosocial driving scores, and aggressive driving scores were relevant individual differences for significant changes in perceptions of the L2 system capabilities and limitations after experience using the system themselves. These findings have implications for training and other approaches to address knowledge gaps.