According to a new study published by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), the more accustomed drivers become to driver-assist technology designed to reduce the frequency and severity of crashes, the more likely they are to engage in distracted driving that is responsible for many crashes.
This counterintuitive phenomenon can be easily explained: the more comfortable we get with a technology, the more likely we are to use it beyond its intended purpose.
The monthlong study by the IIHS and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's AgeLab examined how users of limited hands-free driving systems or partial automation actually utilized those systems.
The study found that drivers were much more likely to groom, check their phones, eat a sandwich, or perform other visual-manual activities while using the systems on highways. The tendency to multitask increased over time as drivers acclimated to the systems, but the two studies acknowledged that some users engaged in distracted driving from the outset.
Volvo's Pilot Assist and Tesla's Autopilot features were used in the two separate studies, but these are a small sample size of such partial automation. GM's Super Cruise ranks as the most sophisticated and safest system on highways, featuring a driver-monitor camera that demands the driver's eyes stay on the road. If a sandwich or phone were to block the camera, the system would require the driver to take over, before eventually pulling the car over itself and activating emergency services.
“In both these studies, drivers adapted their behavior to engage in distracting activities,” IIHS President David Harkey said in a statement. “This demonstrates why partial automation systems need more robust safeguards to prevent misuse.”
Earlier this year, the IIHS reported that the use of driver-assistance systems has no real effect on safety and crash avoidance, even going so far as to label partial automation a 'convenience feature' like power windows or heated seats.
The IIHS has long advocated for more in-car safety monitoring. In March 2024, it completed testing on semi-autonomous driving systems, and found 11 of 14 limited hands-free systems earned the safety agency's lowest rating of 'Poor.' It discovered the systems were too easy to misuse and for drivers to not pay attention to the road. Autopilot in particular was found to confuse drivers into thinking it was more capable than in testing and reality.
Distracted driving has been attributed to a record-high spike in pedestrian fatalities in 2022, which is the last year for complete data. The NHTSA has also campaigned against distracted driving.
Such limited hands-free driving systems, which include Ford's BlueCruise among many others, are technology that bridges Level 2 and Level 3 automated driving levels, according to the SAE. Level 0 has no driving assistance, not even cruise control, while Level 5 can pilot a car from point A to point B without any driver intervention.
