The Impact of Adaptive Cruise Control on the Drivers' Workload and Attention

Workload and distraction are problems that affect road driving and can cause very serious accidents. Drive assistance systems are very important to help drivers relieve fatigue of driving by increasing road safety and reducing the number of accidents. The Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is a useful driver assistance system to set and maintain a safe distance from the front vehicle, modulating speed and limiting sudden braking. However, the effects of the ACC on overall driver behaviour have not yet been thoroughly investigated. In this study, the authors assessed the influence of ACC on mental workload and attention of drivers in a real driving environment. The results of several evaluations were considered: subjective assessment of workload (NASA-TLX), physiological measurements of workload (brain activity through electroencephalographic technique and the analysis of visual behaviour through an eye monitoring device) and performance-based measurements (via Vbox Pro Video mounted on the vehicle). 52 drivers were involved in the study, 26 ACC experts and 26 non-experts, who drove along the ring road of Bologna (Tangenziale di Bologna) (Italy), both using ACC and manually, without the help of any device. During the test a secondary task was introduced: the sudden arrival of a braking car. Results showed that the use of ACC increased distraction when driving.