The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) is known as an organization that is not afraid of an unusual project, but they might have outdone themselves with their newest project that involves using a giant pink teddy bear to test drivers’ attention spans. Read on to learn more, and then contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 if you have been involved in a car accident and require a free legal consultation.
How the Bear Has Been Used
The goal of IIHS researchers was to determine how aware drivers are of what is going on around them while they are using partial automation. They decided to dress a large stuffed bear in a very visible pink jacket and then strapped it to the back of a vehicle. They then tested whether three groups of drivers noticed the strange bear when the vehicle passed them on a Maryland interstate.
But Why a Big Pink Bear?
One of the researchers said that they use various methods within a lab to measure how aware a person is of what is going on around them, but that they cannot generally use these tests on real roads with unsuspecting drivers. The teddy bear gives them something to objectively measure a driver’s focus with, yet it does not affect how the person will drive.
How the Testing Worked
When putting the teddy bear to the test, IIHS researchers watched 31 drivers, each behind the wheel of a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300. Each driver was followed for about an hour on a stretch of Interstate. Some of the drivers regularly used automation systems that were similar to what is used in this Benz, while others had little or no experience with these kinds of systems.
While the drivers were on the interstate, the vehicle that had the pink teddy bear attached overtook the drivers three times and stayed within their view for about 30 seconds. Cameras in the test vehicles were able to record whether or not the driver was looking through the windshield. When the trip was complete, drivers were asked if they had seen anything strange on other vehicles on the road and how many times they had.
The Results of the Test
According to the researchers, there were significant differences in the success of the parties they tested. Twice as many people who were inexperienced with this level of automation did not recall the bear at all, compared to those who had used them before. Nearly all of the frequent users of that level of automation saw the bear. They were also more likely to recall the correct number of times they saw the bear compared to a third group that did not have the automation system turned on.
If you are involved in a car accident in the Rancho Cucamonga area and require a personal injury attorney, please reach out to Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
