Super Cruise drivers are more likely to drive distracted than Autopilot, ProPILOT – IIHS – Electrek

According to a new study by IIHS, GM Super Cruise drivers are most likely to engage in distracted driving behaviors while using semi-automated driving software compared to Tesla Autopilot and Nissan ProPILOT drivers.

The study was based on a survey of drivers who were asked to self-report what driving activities they performed when using semi-automated driving software and felt safe doing so. All three groups reported a higher likelihood of engaging in distracted driving tasks while partial automation systems were on. Other driver assistance systems were not considered in this survey.

Nissan ProPILOT drivers were statistically the least likely to engage in distracted driving tasks, and Super Cruise drivers were the most likely, on average, although Tesla Autopilot users were more likely to be engaged in some tasks than Super Cruise drivers. Super cruise drivers were the most likely to say they were “comfortable treating their systems as self-driving” (53% compared to 42% for Autopilot and 12% for ProPILOT) when none of the three systems are actually fully self-driving is.

The study asked several questions, including comparisons of whether drivers thought certain activities were safe with the system on or off, whether drivers thought they were better at certain activities with the system on, and so on. Here we reproduce a table showing which activities drivers reported doing more with the system on, but you’ll have to click through the study for other results.

IIHS mentions that this is early data — it was self-reported and colored by the different demographics of owners using these three systems based on the available models equipped with them. Tesla and Super Cruise have more male audiences, and Super Cruise tends towards older drivers while Tesla targets younger drivers (whereas Nissan has a broader appeal). ProPILOT assist users reported using their system more than Tesla and Super Cruise users.

These demographics may explain why younger and more tech-savvy Autopilot users are more likely to use peripherals — phone apps and laptops — than older Super Cruise users.

Most drivers had experienced “alert reminders,” warnings from the system to pay more attention to the road or get their hands back on the wheel. While some found these reminders annoying, most found them helpful and said they increase the security of the system. According to IIHS, this broad consumer acceptance of reminders suggests that distracted driving could be incorporated into more cars without partial automation, as distracted driving is a safety concern regardless of vehicle technology.

Most drivers had also experienced unexpected system behavior that required driver intervention, with Autopilot drivers being much more likely to experience this unexpected behavior. ProPILOT and Autopilot users were more likely to have their hands on the wheel when these interventions were required, and Super Cruise drivers were less likely to have their hands on the wheel (Super Cruise is marketed as a “hands-free” system, but the others require it occasional control inputs).

IIHS warns drivers to be aware of the limitations of partially automated driving systems and not to exceed those limits. It also calls for more research into driving behaviors when using these systems to better understand whether drivers are using them appropriately and how to better educate consumers about their capabilities.

Electrek’s take

The data here is interesting and sheds a little more light on the various sensational video clips we’ve seen of sleeping Tesla drivers, or reports stating that Autopilot has the most ADAS crashes (though also the most miles on those systems were driven). On the other hand, it’s also more detailed than Tesla’s Quarterly Autopilot Safety Report, which merely makes a naïve comparison between miles driven on Autopilot and overall vehicle safety without considering driving conditions, demographics, age of the vehicle, other safety systems, etc.

It stands to reason that drivers are more likely to take on these tasks while driving. If you’re getting something out of the back seat, looking at a hard-to-read sign, making a phone call, etc., then it’s better to do those things with a system that supports you than without. No one can expect perfect attention from every driver at every moment, although we can work to minimize driver distraction and fatigue and ensure backups and alerts are available to help drivers in moments of inattention.

I’m sure most drivers here who have used these systems were more concerned with some of the tasks listed above. On my most recent 2,200-mile road trip, I talked via Bluetooth and to passengers, drank and ate some snacks, took my hands off the wheel for more than a few seconds, and surveyed the scenery. I was fully occupied on winding or crowded roads, but on open straight roads or in slow-moving traffic I didn’t feel unsafe letting autopilot take care of things while doing something else (or resting my foot) for a few seconds.

At the end of the day, responsibility for the car still rests with the driver, and these systems can be used as tools to make driving safer and better, or misused in ways that grab the headlines. More research like this will not only improve how we implement these systems, as IIHS mentions, but will hopefully result in less sensationalized reports of their capabilities (or lack thereof).

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