Objective

This field study examined the effects of adaptive cruise control (ACC) on mind wandering prevalence.

Background

ACC relieves the driver of the need to regulate vehicle speed and following distance, which may result in safety benefits. However, if ACC reduces the amount of attentional resources drivers must devote to driving, then drivers who use ACC may experience increased periods of mind wandering, which could reduce safety.

Methods

Participants drove a prescribed route on a public road twice, once using ACC and once driving manually. Mind wandering rates were assessed throughout the drive using auditory probes, which occurred at random intervals and required the participant to indicate whether or not they were mind wandering. Measures of physiological arousal and driving performance were also recorded.

Results

No evidence of increased mind wandering was found when drivers used ACC. In fact, female drivers reported reduced rates of mind wandering when driving with ACC relative to manual driving. Driving with ACC also tended to be associated with increased physiological arousal and improved driving behavior.

Conclusion

Use of ACC did not encourage increased mind wandering or negatively affect driving performance. In fact, the results indicate that ACC may have positive effects on driver safety among drivers who have limited experience with the technology.

Application

Driver characteristics, such as level of experience with in-vehicle technology and gender, should be considered when investigating driver engagement during ACC use. Field research on vehicle automation may provide valuable insights over and above studies conducted in driving simulators.

中文翻译：

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车辆自动化对驾驶员参与的影响：自适应巡航控制和思维游走的案例

客观的

这项实地研究考察了自适应巡航控制 (ACC) 对走神发生率的影响。

背景

ACC 使驾驶员无需调节车速和跟车距离，这可能会带来安全优势。但是，如果 ACC 减少了驾驶员必须投入到驾驶中的注意力资源的数量，那么使用 ACC 的驾驶员可能会经历更多时间的走神，这可能会降低安全性。

方法

参与者在公共道路上驾驶规定路线两次，一次使用 ACC，一次手动驾驶。在整个驾驶过程中，使用随机间隔发生的听觉探针评估走神率，并要求参与者指出他们是否在走神。还记录了生理唤醒和驾驶表现的测量值。

结果

当驾驶员使用 ACC 时，没有发现思维游荡增加的证据。事实上，女性司机报告说，与手动驾驶相比，使用 ACC 驾驶时的走神率有所降低。使用 ACC 驾驶也往往与增加生理觉醒和改善驾驶行为有关。

结论

使用 ACC 不会鼓励更多的走神或对驾驶性能产生负面影响。事实上，结果表明，ACC 可能对技术经验有限的驾驶员的驾驶员安全产生积极影响。

应用

在调查 ACC 使用期间的驾驶员参与度时，应考虑驾驶员特征，例如车载技术经验水平和性别。除了在驾驶模拟器中进行的研究之外，关于车辆自动化的实地研究可能会提供有价值的见解。