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This paper compares the results from three human factors studies conducted in a motion-based simulator in 2008, 2014 and 2023, to highlight the trends in driver's response to Forward Collision Warning (FCW). The studies were motivated by the goal to develop an effective HMI (Human-Machine Interface) strategy that enables the required driver's response to FCW while minimizing the level of annoyance of the feature. All three studies evaluated driver response to a baseline-FCW and no-FCW conditions. Additionally, the 2023 study included two modified FCW chime variants: a softer FCW chime and a fading FCW chime. Sixteen (16) participants, balanced for gender and age, were tested for each group in all iterations of the studies. The participants drove in a high-fidelity simulator with a visual distraction task (number reading). After driving 15 minutes in a nighttime rural highway environment, a surprise forward collision threat arose during the distraction task.

Level 2 (L2) partially automated vehicle systems require the driver to continuously monitor the driving environment and be prepared to take control immediately if necessary. One of the main challenges facing developers of these systems is how to ensure that drivers understand their role and stay alert as the systems require. With little real world data, it has been difficult to understand user attitudes and behaviors toward the implementation and use of partially automated vehicles. At the time of this study, Tesla was one of the few OEMs with a partially automated vehicle feature available on the market; Autopilot. In order to understand how customers interact with a partially automated vehicle, a study was conducted to observe people driving their own Tesla vehicles while autopilot was engaged. Sixteen Tesla owners (14 males and 2 females) between ages 25 to 60 had their vehicles instrumented with video/audio data collection systems for three consecutive days.