Effect of different alcohol levels on take-over performance in conditionally automated driving. (June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wiedemann, Katharina; Naujoks, Frederik; Wörle, Johanna; Kenntner-Mabiala, Ramona; Kaussner, Yvonne; Neukum, Alexandra
• Is Part Of: Accident analysis and prevention. Volume 115(2018)
• Page Start: 89
• Page End: 97
• Publication Date: 2018-06
• Subjects: Blood alcohol -- Controllability -- Driver fitness -- Driving simulation; Accidents -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Accident Prevention -- Periodicals; Accidents -- Prévention -- Périodiques; 363.106
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2018.03.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0001-4575

Abstract

Highlights: Comparisons of placebo, 0.05% and 0.08% BAC in a high-fidelitydriving simulator. Drivers were distracted from the driving environment by a simple NDRT. 0.08% BAC significantly worsened take-over time and vehicle control. 0.05% BAC did only go along with descriptive impairments in fewer parameters. Future research should further address more complex NDRTs. Abstract: Automated driving systems are getting pushed into the consumer market, with varying degrees of automation. Most often the driver's task will consist of being available as a fall-back level when the automation reaches its limits. These so-called take-over situations have attracted a great body of research, focusing on various human factors aspects (e.g., sleepiness) that could undermine the safety of control transitions between automated and manual driving. However, a major source of accidents in manual driving, alcohol consumption, has been a non-issue so far, although a false understanding of the driver's responsibility (i.e., being available as a fallback level) might promote driving under its influence. In this experiment, N = 36 drivers were exposed to different levels of blood alcohol concentrations (BACs: placebo vs. 0.05% vs. 0.08%) in a high fidelity driving simulator, and the effect on take-over time and quality was assessed. The results point out that a 0.08% BAC increases the time needed to re-engage in the driving task and impairs several aspects of longitudinal and lateral vehicle control, whereas 0.05% BAC did only go along with descriptive impairments in fewer parameters.