Abstract
ABSTRACTDriving is closely linked to older people’s mobility and independence. However, age-related functional decline reduces their safe driving abilities and thereby their wellbeing may decline. The rapid development of vehicle automation has the potential to enhance the mobility of older drivers by enabling them to continue driving safer for longer. So far only limited work has been carried out to study older drivers’ interaction with highly automated vehicles (HAV). This study investigates the effect of age and level of driving disengagement on the takeover control performance in HAV. A driving simulation study with 76 drivers has been conducted. Results showed that 20 s was sufficient for drivers to take over control from HAV. Older drivers take longer to respond and make decisions than younger drivers. The age effect on some aspects of takeover quality, in terms of operating steering wheel and pedals, is still pronounced. In addition, complete disengagement in driving in HAV leads to a longer takeover time and worse takeover quality, and it affects older drivers more seriously than younger drivers. The results highlight that an age-friendly design of human-machine interaction is important for enhancing the safety and comfort of older drivers when interacting with HAVs.
Highlights
The population in the UK is becoming older
The trajectories in different conditions are illustrated by lines of different colours, and the black vertical arrow and a car were used to indicate the takeover request and the stationary car
The present driving simulator study found that age differences are pronounced enough to be noticeable in an applied task such as taking over from the highly automated vehicles (HAV)
Summary
The population in the UK is becoming older. In 1976, the percentage of people aged 65 and over accounted for 14.2% of the population in the UK; this figure increased to 18.0% in 2016 and is predicted to grow to 23.9% in 2036 (ONS 2017). To many older adults, accessing to a car is equivalent to maintaining mobility and being independent, and it has been generally recognised that continuing mobility is strongly linked to their quality of life and wellbeing (Guo et al 2010; Musselwhite and Haddad 2010; Li et al 2019). One of the important transport modes for older adults in the UK is travelling by cars, and a great proportion of their journeys in cars are as drivers (DfT 2015a).
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