Beyond adaptive cruise control and lane centering control: drivers’ mental model of and trust in emerging ADAS technologies

INTRODUCTION: The potential safety benefits of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) highly rely on drivers’ appropriate mental models of and trust in ADAS. Current research mainly focused on drivers’ mental model of adaptive cruise control (ACC) and lane centering control (LCC), but rarely investigated drivers’ understanding of emerging driving automation functions beyond ACC and LCC. METHODS: To address this research gap, 287 valid responses from ADAS users in the Chinese market, were collected in a survey study targeted toward state-of-the-art ADAS (e.g., autopilot in Tesla). Through cluster analysis, drivers were clustered into four groups based on their knowledge of traditional ACC and LCC functions, knowledge of functions beyond ACC and LCC, and knowledge of ADAS limitations. Predictors of driver grouping were analyzed, and we further modeled drivers’ trust in ADAS. RESULTS: Drivers in general had weak knowledge of LCC functions and functions beyond ACC and LCC, and only 27 (9%) of respondents had a relatively strong mental model of ACC and LCC. At the same time, years of licensure, weekly driving distance, ADAS familiarity, driving style (i.e., planning), and personability (i.e., agreeableness) were associated with drivers’ mental model of ADAS. Further, it was found that the mental model of ADAS, vehicle brand, and drivers’ age, ADAS experience, driving style (i.e., focus), and personality (i.e., emotional stability) were significant predictors of drivers’ trust in ADAS. DISCUSSION: These findings provide valuable insights for the design of driver education and training programs to improve driving safety with ADAS.