Effect of automatic lane changing on driver's behaviour decision process

This paper analyses the driver's behavioural change about which the usage of automated driving system brings, focusing on the behaviours at changing lanes. Especially the relation between drivers' sensitivity to risk factors in surrounding environment and their gaze behaviour were analysed. We assumed, in this research, an automated driving of level 2 in the definition provided by NHTSA. At this level of automation, the drivers are required to monitor the driving situation and, when necessary, interrupt the system's automatic control and thereby recover the safety of the driving. We have conducted a simulation experiment with fifteen drivers, and compared their behaviours in two conditions; the conventional manual driving and the driving where automated driving system automatically changes lanes. By analysing collectively the risk factors at changing lanes, shift of each driver's sensitivity to risk at changing lanes were estimated. The experimental data shows the correlation between risk sensitivity and gaze behaviour.