ADAS-assisted driver behaviour in near missing car-pedestrian accidents

In intermediate steps on the way to full driving automation, the role of the driver will remain essential and its behaviour when aided by Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) must be allowed for, in order to obtain the maximum benefit. In the study here presented a driving simulator experimentation was carried out. 69 volunteers were enrolled to face a simulated hazard situation involving a pedestrian; some of them were aided by ADAS, while other were not. The driving scenario was set up based on a statistical accident analysis and the thorough reconstruction of actual road accidents. By qualitative and quantitative analysis, some differences in drivers' behaviour were observed in relation to the presence of ADAS devices and their different modes of acting. The positive effect of ADAS was naturally confirmed, but some of the drivers were not fully able to benefit of its help.