Impacts of Training Methods and Experience Types on Drivers’ Mental Models and Driving Performance

Training for driver in automated vehicle (AV) systems is considered an effective way to establishing correct driver mental models and enhancing the safety of autonomous driving usage. With the increasing market share of Level 2 AV systems, it has become necessary to determine some efficient training methods of AV systems. For drivers, different experiences lead to different prior knowledge, which directly affects the formation of mental models. Therefore, this study explored the impact of training methods on the mental models and driving performance of drivers with different driving experience. We recruited 72 participants with three different types of driving experience. They were equally divided in one of the four training groups. After training, they would take a test drive in a driving simulator. Driving data and mental models were collected. The results indicated that both training methods and driving experience significantly affect the formation of mental models. Furthermore, for the scenarios within the training, the difference between training methods would be amplified with the increasing level of scenario urgency. And post-training driving experience would mitigate the differences between driving experience types. Video training enhanced drivers’ attentiveness more than other three training methods. Lastly, for drivers who had not used AVs, having more extensive driving experience might reduce their attentiveness in hazardous road sections. These results highlight the differences in the effectiveness of training for drivers with different experience types and emphasize the need to develop training programs tailored to drivers’ experience types to improve their mental models.