Fault Condition and Familiarity Shape Evasive Performance in SAE Level 2 Driving Automation

Drivers familiar with driving automation systems have been shown to exhibit improved intervention performance compared to novices, though it remains unclear whether these benefits depend on the source of the conflict. This study examined the effects of fault condition (i.e., conflict source: ego-fault vs. other-fault) and familiarity with driving automation systems on evasive performance while supervising a partial driving automation system during an impending head-on sideswipe collision. Twenty-eight licensed drivers completed four trials in a virtual reality simulator. Analyses focused on 19 participants who produced responses. Trust in automation, familiarity with driving automation systems, perception response time, ramp time, and response magnitude were measured. Results revealed a significant fault-by-familiarity interaction for steering: familiar drivers responded faster than novices in the ego-fault condition, but not in the other-fault condition. No significant effects were observed for trust, ramp time, or response magnitude. These findings suggest that familiarity effects may vary across conflicts.