Photo: IIHS
A giant pink teddy bear strapped to the rear of a car might seem like the least scientific method to determine anything, but it’s the one currently being used by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
This might read like a joke, but it’s not. In fact, IIHS Research Scientist Alexandra Mueller points out the idea isn’t even new. It has the advantage of presenting a “robust” way of studying a problem in real-world driving conditions without impact on the actual driving and to the findings.
In this case, the problem is whether drivers using technology provided by Level 2 automation have better or worse situational awareness than those who choose not to rely on it. It’s been said before—and duly documented in research—that drivers tend to rely too much on technology, to the point where they over-trust it and fail to respond in time to an emergency when they would have to take over.
The IIHS notes that this study, conducted on the interstate in Maryland with help from three groups of drivers, is not conclusive yet. That said, it does point to a direct connection between increased situational awareness and Level 2 automation.
For the study, which you can find in full in the attached PDF, a giant pink teddy bear wearing a hi-vis jacket was strapped to the back of a car. At the same time, three groups of drivers (31 drivers in total) were sent out in a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300 with lane assist. The first group had experience with similar systems on their own car, so they turned the feature on. The second group had limited to no experience but still chose to use the feature, while the third group had no experience and drove with lane-keeping turned off.
While on the road, the car with the teddy came into view several times for each of the 31 drivers, but never for longer than 30 seconds. In the end, drivers had to say whether they’d seen something out of the ordinary and describe what it was. In-car cameras were used to validate the answers.
Whether drivers over-rely on technology or not, having experience with Level 2 automation seems to increase situational awareness: drivers in the first group were twice more likely to remember seeing the teddy, including the location and how many times. At the opposite end were drivers with no experience with automation tech who chose to leave the system turned on. The study determined that they were more likely to be looking straight ahead, which would seem to indicate they’re better with the features turned off than on.
In other words, becoming familiar with Level 2 technology is both convenient and recommendable, leading to increased safety. As long as you remember to keep your eyes on the road, peeled for pink teddies.
In this case, the problem is whether drivers using technology provided by Level 2 automation have better or worse situational awareness than those who choose not to rely on it. It’s been said before—and duly documented in research—that drivers tend to rely too much on technology, to the point where they over-trust it and fail to respond in time to an emergency when they would have to take over.
The IIHS notes that this study, conducted on the interstate in Maryland with help from three groups of drivers, is not conclusive yet. That said, it does point to a direct connection between increased situational awareness and Level 2 automation.
For the study, which you can find in full in the attached PDF, a giant pink teddy bear wearing a hi-vis jacket was strapped to the back of a car. At the same time, three groups of drivers (31 drivers in total) were sent out in a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300 with lane assist. The first group had experience with similar systems on their own car, so they turned the feature on. The second group had limited to no experience but still chose to use the feature, while the third group had no experience and drove with lane-keeping turned off.
While on the road, the car with the teddy came into view several times for each of the 31 drivers, but never for longer than 30 seconds. In the end, drivers had to say whether they’d seen something out of the ordinary and describe what it was. In-car cameras were used to validate the answers.
Whether drivers over-rely on technology or not, having experience with Level 2 automation seems to increase situational awareness: drivers in the first group were twice more likely to remember seeing the teddy, including the location and how many times. At the opposite end were drivers with no experience with automation tech who chose to leave the system turned on. The study determined that they were more likely to be looking straight ahead, which would seem to indicate they’re better with the features turned off than on.
In other words, becoming familiar with Level 2 technology is both convenient and recommendable, leading to increased safety. As long as you remember to keep your eyes on the road, peeled for pink teddies.
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