TesiL2 - Testing of Level 2 partially automated vehicles with regard to their system functionality and human-machine interaction

Since 2000, the European Commission has been pursuing the ambitious goal of halving road traffic fatalities every 10 years and eliminating them entirely by 2050. While this target tended to be met in the beginning, the trend flattened out especially in the years 2015 to 2020 . It is believed that the effectiveness of greatly increased passive safety since the 2000s is diminishing and being counteracted by accidents caused by increased distracted driving . Reduced driver engagement due to decreasing driver:inside involvement in vehicle control with SAE L2 comfort systems could further exacerbate this as increasing market penetration is expected. Often, safety systems (e.g., emergency braking systems, emergency lane keeping) and comfort systems (e.g., adaptive cruise control, lane keeping systems) are based on the same technology, and these safety systems are mandated in Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 for newly homologated systems and somewhat later for newly approved systems, which will drive rapid market penetration for comfort systems as well. Standards and regulations that make sufficient driver engagement a development goal for manufacturers can help. The present project develops a proposal for a test methodology for the HMI and Driver Engagement assessment for SAE L2 systems, which are continuously improved on the freeway but still cause difficulties on the highway.