Guiding Driver Responses During Manual Takeovers from Automated Vehicles

The number of automated features in surface vehicles is increasing as new vehicles are released each year. Some features allow drivers to temporarily take their attention off the road to engage in other tasks. However, sometimes it is important for drivers to immediately take control of the vehicle. To take control safely, drivers must understand what is required of them and have the situation awareness (SA) to understand important changes or factors within the environment around them. To achieve this, drivers may be presented with necessary takeover information using a head-up display (HUD), which keeps the driver’s eyes on the road. This study investigated the impact of novel HUDs on driver SA during takeover on highways. Data collection included empirical data for takeover performance metrics, self-reported SA, and participant preferences. To investigate differences between conditions, statistical analyses utilized repeated measure analyses of variance (ANOVAs). The results indicated that HUDs can increase aspects of takeover performance on highways, with participants demonstrating lower response times and higher time-to-collision metrics. There was no significant impact of HUDs on driver SA. Results of this work identified potential use cases and design criteria for new designs of novel HUDs to deliver important information during takeover.