Technical Factors Matter for Driving Behavior Analysis: Experiment and Validation

Technological factors like driver assistance systems have the potential to influence human driving behavior, forming their driving habits. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the impact of these technological factors on behavior remain elusive. This paper specifically targets drive modes (i.e., eco and sport) as the technological factors and explores their influence on humans' driving behavior. First, we collect naturalistic and simulation driving data from 16 drivers who operated vehicles in eco and sport modes. We then employ eight hypothesis tests to analyze the changes in driving behavior with eco and sport modes. This study reveals that human drivers' behavior preferences are related to the level of urgency of the driving task that needs to be completed, with observable behavior characteristics being contingent upon both the drive mode and the complexity of traffic situations. We experimentally speculate that single-drive modes such as eco or sport mode cannot adapt to the full range of driving needs due to differences in the level of urgency of driving tasks to be completed, which is further validated with practical applications in simulation. These findings provide the basis for improving the acceptance of human-centric driver assistance systems for different vehicles.