Drivers’ Willingness to Engage Level 3 Vehicle Automation

This research investigated driver’s willingness to engage vehicle automation in everyday driving situations. The introduction of automated vehicles promises to greatly reduce road fatalities and injuries and bring many other benefits to society. However, these benefits will not be realised if vehicle automation is not accepted, trusted and used appropriately by drivers. Using a newly-built automation driving simulator as the main research tool, four linked experiments were undertaken; from these, trust in automation, driver confidence and situation complexity were identified as key factors. The practical implications of this research will help the design and gradual implementation of automated vehicles.