80 MPH and out-of-the-loop: Effects of real-world semi-automated driving on driver workload and arousal
archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified
Summary
Biondi, Lohani, Hopman, Mills, Cooper, and Strayer examined whether driving a Level-2 vehicle on real highways reduces driver engagement. Participants drove a Tesla Model S in both manual and Autopilot (semi-automated) modes on open road while physiological activation and peripheral DRT response time were recorded. Compared with manual driving, semi-automated driving produced reduced physiological activation and slower DRT response times to peripheral stimuli, consistent with the Yerkes-Dodson account of underload and inverted-U arousal-performance relations.
Key finding
Real-world Level-2 driving reduces physiological arousal and slows peripheral-DRT response, signaling under-arousal and reduced engagement rather than safety gains from automation.
Methodology
On-road within-subjects manual vs. Tesla Autopilot driving with continuous physiological recording and peripheral DRT secondary task.
Sample size: Exp 1: N=10; Exp 2: N=20
Quality score: 5 / 5