Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control: Human Factors Analysis

CONCLUSION

CACC has the ability to greatly increase throughput on high-volume highways with significantly less cost than traditional lane expansion. In addition to time savings for drivers, CACC presents the environmental benefits of reduced emissions and fuel usage. All of these benefits may also be realized in arterial intersection environments where infrastructure can inform (or directly influence) a driver to adopt the most appropriate speed at which to approach an intersection.

The success of CACC lies heavily in understanding and managing the various human-factors issues that pertain to automation usage. Knowing how, when, and why a driver uses automation, what underlying processes and information are utilized when making decisions, and what secondary activities the automation usage may encourage is critical. The data presented in this report and the proposed research scenarios can help increase the likelihood of successful system implementation and aid the development of necessary training and policy.