Towards Opt-Out Permission Policies to Maximize the Use of Automated Driving

Automated driving has the potential to reduce road fatalities. However, the public opinion to use automated driving can be described as skeptical. To increase the use of automated driving features, we investigate the persuasion principle of opt-out permission policies for enabling the automation, meaning automatically enabling the automation if users do not veto. In a driving simulator study (n = 19), participants drove on three different tracks (city, highway, rural). Three different interface concepts (opt-out, opt-in, control) were examined regarding their effects on automation use, trust, and acceptance. We found that an opt-out activation policy may increase automation usage for some participants. However, opt-out was perceived as more persuasive and more patronizing than the other conditions. Most importantly, opt-out can lead to mode confusion and therefore to dangerous situations. When such an opt-out policy is used in an automated vehicle, mode confusion must be addressed.