Research and analysis

Self-driving vehicles: regaining situational awareness

Explores how users of self-driving vehicles respond to a request to resume manual driving.

• From: Department for Transport and Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles
• Published: 9 January 2025

Documents

Regaining situational awareness as a user in charge responding to transition demands in automated vehicles

PDF, 2.01 MB, 124 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email webmasterdft@dft.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

A study that explores driver behavioural responses to transition demands in vehicles with self-driving features engaged.

The aims were to:

• investigate which non-driving activities can be safely performed, while in self-driving mode
• establish mechanisms for measuring situational awareness and thresholds to ensure safe takeover and resumption of manual driving
• understand the variations in the impact of non-driving related activities across different scenarios

The research tested a sample of 97 participants in driving simulators.

The research will be used to inform connected and autonomous vehicle or self-driving car policy.

Published 9 January 2025