Effects of Cognitive Distraction and Driving Environment Complexity on Adaptive Cruise Control Use and Its Impact on Driving Performance: A Simulator Study

Authors:
  • AHAnaïs Halin
    Anaïs Halin
  • MDMarc Van Droogenbroeck
    Marc Van Droogenbroeck
  • CDChristel Devue
    Christel Devue
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Abstract
In this simulator study, we adopt a human-centered approach to explore whether and how drivers' cognitive state and driving environment complexity influence reliance on driving automation features. Besides, we examine whether such reliance affects driving performance. Participants operated a vehicle equipped with adaptive cruise control (ACC) in a simulator across six predefined driving scenarios varying in traffic conditions while either performing a cognitively demanding task (i.e., responding to mental calculations) or not. Throughout the experiment, participants had to respect speed limits and were free to activate or deactivate ACC. In complex driving environments, we found that the overall ACC engagement time was lower compared to less complex driving environments. We observed no significant effect of cognitive load on ACC use. Furthermore, while ACC use had no effect on the number of lane changes, it impacted the speed limits compliance and improved lateral control.
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