Influence of Driver’s Comprehension Level of Driving Support Systems on Driver’s Mental Workload

- Evaluation on Actual Expressway with ACC and LKA -

Abstract

Three groups of drivers who were given different explanations respectively about driving support systems (DSS) drove a passenger car equipped with both ACC and LKA on an actual expressway. Drivers’ subjective evaluations showed that mental workload for using DSS increased with detailed explanations of DSS limitations, while explanations of visual and auditory displays for monitoring the DSS status decreased workload. These results suggest influence of introductory explanations of DSS to mental workload, and effectivity of HMI for monitoring DSS status to lighten it.