Vehicle manufacturers have developed advanced driver assistance systems (ADASs) to reduce driver workload and enhance safety. The delivery of these systems to consumers occurs through dealerships not owned by manufacturers. Limited research is available on how dealerships provide consumers with information and training on ADASs. In an exploratory study seeking information on new safety technologies, semistructured blind interviews of salespeople at 18 Boston, Massachusetts, area dealerships were conducted in the context of potential vehicle purchase across six vehicle brands. Although some dealerships were making concerted efforts to introduce and educate customers on ADASs, a number of salespeople interviewed were not well positioned to provide adequate information to their customers. In select instances, salespeople explicitly provided inaccurate information on safety-critical systems. The dealerships in the sample that represented mass-market brands (Ford and Chevrolet) were the poorest performers. Sales staff at Subaru dealers were well trained and had print and digital content to drive consumer engagement. Educational staff, or “geniuses,” at BMW dealers presented a potentially innovative way of segmenting the sales process from technology education. In the absence of some technology introduction and education at dealerships, consumers may remain underinformed or misinformed about the disruptive safety technologies that are rapidly being introduced across the vehicle fleet.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have the potential to increase driver safety. However, driver misuse or failure to use ADAS could mitigate potential benefits. Appropriate training is one established method for encouraging proper use of technology. An online survey of 2364 respondents revealed significant differences between utilized and preferred methods for learning to use technologies. Drivers who learned through their preferred methods reported higher understanding and use of in-vehicle systems. Providing readily available methods of learning that align with learning preferences may improve safe use of ADAS.
Higher levels of vehicle automation are forecast as a potential mobility solution for many, but understanding consumer comfort and acceptance of selfdriving technologies remains an open question. Results from a series of surveys over three years showed a slight increase in the percentage of people comfortable with full self-driving automation in 2018, following a drop from 2016 to 2017. The recovery in comfort with higher levels of automation was most pronounced among younger adults between ages 25 and 44. However, the percentage of people only comfortable with no automation or features that activate only in certain situations such as in an emergency also increased in the past year, indicating a polarizing trend. Results from the survey also showed that acceptance of self-driving vehicles is conditional on people's ability to drive as well as having assurance regarding the safety of the technology. Responses also point to a possible misunderstanding among the public regarding the definition and availability of full self-driving technology, indicating a need for improved messaging and consumer education.
As the first phase of a larger project, drivers were recruited to drive for a month one of two different vehicles with a range of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Training methods for introducing the systems and questionnaire and structured interview methods were tested for collecting driver perceptions and understanding of the technologies. Participant perceptions and selected observations are detailed.
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