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It is no surprise that driver technology is increasing in cars, and with it, the safety of its users. As technological advancements become more affordable, compact, and accessible, it only makes sense for vehicle manufacturers to incorporate those into their vehicles. It’s great for marketing, it’s always helpful to pretend to care about your customers, and, at the end of the day, dead people can’t buy more cars. I am, however, concerned about the increase in driver assistance technology unintentionally causing a decrease in human attention paid to the road.
What is Driver Assistance Technology?
Driver Assistance Technology is a broad term for a system or feature in a car that helps the vehicle’s driver move about the world in a safe manner. It does this through monitoring, warning, indicating, or intervening.
Driver assistance technology is not driver replacement technology. That exists, and people are working on it, but it is a different topic of discussion that includes things such as fully self-driving cars.
Why does it exist?
Humans are, among other things, infinitely fallible. We get sleepy, drunk, mad, distracted, hungry, depressed, high, and sometimes just plain silly. Computers, however, do not do any of that. They have a much faster reaction time and are capable of processing much more input from many more sources than any human driver.
The goal is always to decrease the severity and/or frequency of vehicle collisions. Many times, it is implemented to perform an action in such a manner (be it speed, reaction time, pressure, force, etc.) that even the most attentive and skilled drivers would still consistently do worse and cause more harm than the automated intervention.
How it Started
Early driver assistance systems could be thought of as including things we now find commonplace and take for granted, such as Anti-Lock Braking (ABS). It takes the human task of sharp, emergency braking while still maintaining a firm grip on the road, and simplifies that experience so that, during an emergency stop, the driver only has to press as hard as they can on the brake pedal and the ABS will ensure that the brakes do not lock up.
Next, we saw the addition of features such as Electronic Stability/Traction Control (ESC/ETC) systems, which can take the driver task of adjusting acceleration, steering, and braking for the roadways and automates portions of that, to allow for driver errors to be automatically corrected, which helps keep the car upright and on the roadways.
Now, notice that in both of those cases, the driver assistance technology did not absolve the driver of any of their responsibility. They only increased the automatic reactions of the car in adverse situations. With ABS, the driver is still responsible for being alert enough to notice the hazard and initiate the emergency stop. Similarly, with ESC/ETC systems, the driver still has to drive with due regard to the road’s shape and environmental conditions.
Levels of Automation
All of this technology assists the driver, but not all of it actually performs any action when an adverse situation is perceived. Some systems can take total control of the car’s speed, direction, and more, whereas others can only control some of those. To better get a sense of how automatic the reactions of the technologies are, a scale exists to represent this.
| Automation Level | Short Description | Examples of Technologies |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No Assistance | Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Monitoring, Forward Collision Warning |
| 1 | Hands On | Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Emergency Braking, Lane Centering |
| 2 | Hands Off | Highway Driving Assist, Auto Obstacle Avoidance, Autonomous Parking |
| 3 | Eyes Off | Traffic Jam Autopilot, Highway Chauffeur |
| 4 | Mind Off | A-to-B Automatic Navigation |
| 5 | Full Control | Full Self Driving (usually with intervention impossible) |
Level 0: No Assistance
Driver assistance technology existing in level 0 includes systems that monitor the environment, but do not take any action. Examples could include Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Monitoring, and Forward Collision Warning. These systems assist the driver by giving them more information or warning in situations where they may not be paying enough attention or may have difficulty noticing the problem in the first place.
When utilizing technology at this level, the driver must dedicate 100% of their attention to the road and the safe operation of the car, and act upon anything they would like to change.
Level 1: Hands On
Driver assistance technology in level 1 includes systems that can control either the speed or steering of the vehicle in certain situations, but not both. Examples could include Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Emergency Braking, and Lane Centering. These systems can perform actions on behalf of the driver in certain situations by taking control of the steering wheel, brake pedal, or accelerator. This can enable drivers to focus on staying aware of their surroundings or preventing driver fatigue.
We use the term “hands on” to describe level 1 because, while the car may be taking some actions on behalf of the driver, the driver must keep their hands physically on the control systems, as the technology is usually programmed to disengage in the presence of an unexpected situation, and cannot account for all possible hazards. The responsibility still lies with the driver to constantly be aware of both their surroundings and the behavior of the automated systems in their vehicle.
When utilizing technology at this level, the driver still must dedicate 100% of their attention to the road and the safe operation of the car, and be prepared to override the automated systems.
Level 2: Hands Off
Driver assistance technology in level 2 includes systems that can control both the speed and steering of the vehicle in certain situations. Examples could include Highway Driving Assist, Auto Obstacle Avoidance, and Autonomous Parking. These systems perform multiple simultaneous actions on behalf of the driver in certain situations. They usually do this by taking control of the steering, braking, and accelerator as appropriate.
We use the term “hands off” to describe level 2 because the car is performing all of the basic functions of motion on behalf of the driver, so the driver does not need to keep their hands physically on the control systems. They, however, must still be very engaged in the doings of the car as well as the changing environment around them. The technology at this level can only handle certain situations and can ask the driver to regain total control of the car in an instant.
When utilizing technology at this level, the driver still must dedicate 100% of their attention to the road and the safe operation of the car, and be prepared to override the automated systems.
Level 3: Eyes Off
Driver assistance technology in level 3 includes systems that can control all aspects of the car’s motion in normal weather. Examples could include Traffic Jam Autopilot and Highway Chauffeur. These systems are the first to functionally drive the car, but can only do so with the oversight of the driver. Some level 3 features only work in certain situations, such as in heavy traffic.
We use the term “eyes off” to describe level 3 because the driver has handed off the task of driving to the automated technology and does not need to keep their eyes on the road. The driver will need to reclaim control of the driving tasks in inclement weather, for example, or at the end of the situation for which the technology was designed. The driver must stay engaged with their responsibilities of monitoring the behavior of the car but is not expected to constantly watch the road or evaluate their surroundings. If the system needs the driver to regain control, it will make that clear and the driver will then be expected to totally re-engage.
When utilizing technology at this level, the driver does not need to dedicate all of their attention to the road, but they must be prepared to resume that role if needed. It would be reasonable for the driver to, for example, read a book or make eye contact with another passenger in the car while talking.
Level 4: Mind Off
Driver assistance technology in level 4 includes systems that can complete an entire trip in normal weather, without the oversight of a driver. Examples could include features such as A-to-B Automatic Navigation. These systems can drive the car to the destination without any supervision from the driver, but may only be able to do so in normal environmental conditions.
We use the term “mind off” to describe level 4 because the driver has totally delegated the task of driving to the technology and is no longer expected to intervene unless they choose to or environmental conditions become unfavorable. The driver is not expected to concern themselves with the operation of the car or the state of the environment. In the event of an issue, the technology will indicate to the driver that it may require help to continue the drive, but can still safely stop the car itself if the driver chooses not to re-engage.
When utilizing technology at this level, the driver does not need to be engaged with the travel process at all but could be requested to drive in certain conditions, lest the technology needs to find a safe place to stop the vehicle until conditions improve. It would be reasonable for the driver to, for example, play a video game or take a nap.
Level 5: Full Control
Driver assistance technology in level 5 includes systems that can autonomously complete an entire trip in any environmental conditions. This would consist entirely of self-driving cars. These cars may not have a steering wheel or other control devices for human occupants to operate the vehicle.
We use the term “full control” to describe level 5 because the technology in the vehicle is solely responsible for all safety aspects of the trip. The term “steering wheel optional” is also used to describe level 5 autonomy, since the driver should have no reason to override the vehicle’s technology when operating at this level. In the event of an issue, the technology must be able to resolve it without human intervention or safely stop the car if the problems worsen.
When utilizing technology at this level, the driver does not engage with the operation of the vehicle in any way, and doing so may be impossible. It would be reasonable for the driver to, for example, drink alcohol or fall asleep.