Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) systems will likely be introduced on passenger vehicles in the U.S. and Europe within the next two years. These technologies are already available in Japan and are being extensively tested in the U.S. and Europe. This paper discusses a number of issues with these systems that may require human factors standards in order to ensure safe performance and possibly realize certain safety benefits. The key issues include: (1) user interface elements needed by drivers to understand the current operating mode of the system; (2) drivers' understanding of the operating characteristics, capabilities and limitations of the system so they know what to expect and when to intervene manually; and (3) minimizing differences in certain operating characteristics across vehicle manufacturers and platforms to help ensure drivers' expectations are not violated.
Samenvatting