From Distraction to Action: Elevating Situation Awareness with Visual Assistance in Level 3 Autonomous Driving

This study examines the impact of visual assistance and cognitive load on situation awareness (SA) during takeover events in Level 3 (L3) autonomous driving, where drivers are permitted to engage in Non-Driving Related Tasks (NDRTs). Utilizing a driving simulator, the research explores how different NDRTs, occupying various sensory channels, influence drivers' SA under two visual assistance conditions: full marking and key marking. Results from the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) and NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) scales, along with eye-tracking data, demonstrate significant interactions between visual assistance conditions and tasks, highlighting key marking's superior effectiveness in enhancing SA across all NDRTs. The study reveals that cognitive workload, largely arising from NDRTs rather than road attention, remains unaffected by visual assistance conditions. Findings suggest that drivers' strategies for allocating attention are consistent, regardless of the visual task presence. This research contributes to understanding SA in autonomous driving takeovers, offering valuable insights for developing Human-Machine Interface (HMI) designs to improve SA and takeover performance in autonomous driving systems.