Decision Making in Driving Moral Dilemmas: A Driving Simulator Study

Understanding how humans make decisions in dangerous driving situations, such as moral dilemmas, can provide valuable insights for assessing autonomous vehicles (AVs) and bridging the gap between AV algorithms and human morality. It is generally assumed that drivers will make utilitarian choices if given enough time, meaning their chosen actions align with their preferred actions. However, previous research has shown mixed results, especially under time and outcome pressure. This discrepancy between actual and preferred actions may be due to limited processing of the related events or reflexive reactions, such as turning to the right, particularly when data is collected from a single scenario. This study utilized a driving simulator to explore whether drivers make ethical decisions in programmed crash scenarios, collecting data from multiple scenarios. Thirty-one undergraduates participated using a STISM driving simulator to respond to driving moral dilemmas. The results indicated that allowing more time to process driving environments led to a higher percentage of utilitarian choices. Additionally, participants showed a preference for responding right over left. Impulsiveness did not affect utilitarian choices. These findings have potential implications for the regulation of driver assistance technologies and AVs.