Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Autonomous/Automated Vehicles

Surprise! Even Partial Automation Is Encouraging Drivers Not to Pay Attention

Video footage of a Tesla driver testing out the survivability of nap driving.

Among the many dangers faced by people on streets in this nation today, distracted driving in automated vehicles has not been uppermost in people's minds. But research from U.C. Davis suggests policymakers should maybe pay a little more attention.

Scott Hardman, Senior Researcher at the Plug-In Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Research Center at ITS-Davis, found that people who drive Teslas that are equipped with the company's "Autopilot" software tend to drive more than they did before they had the software, which by itself is a problem in terms of energy use and increased congestion. Reduced stress from the feeling that they don't need to concentrate on driving makes drivers more willing to take long trips, and more willing to drive in heavy traffic.

That's because they are also more likely to be surfing the internet or sleeping while at the wheel, trusting the unregulated and largely untested software to handle the driving.

The Tesla with "Autopilot" function is considered a "partially automated vehicle." The software can control steering, acceleration, deceleration, and braking. However, the human driver is supposed to stay attentive, and maintain control of the vehicle.

The research raises questions about how driver behavior might change when more advanced automated vehicles become available. Researchers have warned that the adoption of fully automated vehicles is likely to lead to more travel and more congestion, and this study's results seem to back that up.

“The study highlights the fact that partially automated vehicles can cause and are already causing changes in how people travel—similar to the changes that modeling studies predict for fully automated vehicles," said Hardman in a press release. "But partially automated vehicles, unlike fully driverless cars, are already on the market and having an impact.”

Neither federal nor state policies currently address these safety issues directly, even though fully automatic vehicles are already being tested on California roads.

Hardman's report is available online, (a summary of findings is here). Also, U.C. Davis will host a webinar at 10 a.m. tomorrow to discuss the findings in more detail.

Researchers at U.C Davis have done a lot of thinking about automated vehicles and what they could mean for the future of transportation in California. Policy makers and rule setters should listen.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

CalMatters Dives Into the Deadly Relicensing Practices at DMV

“We found nearly 40% of the drivers charged with vehicular manslaughter since 2019 have a valid license.”

April 15, 2025

Tax Day Headlines

Who doesn't like a surprise when they push a button?

April 15, 2025

In a ‘Tough-On-Crime’ Nation, Why Is Car Crime Everywhere?

Why do we treat car crime so differently from other forms of law-breaking — and who benefits?

April 15, 2025

How to Build a Better Sustainable Transportation Pilot

Pop-up projects and trial runs can build support for new street safety ideas and new alternatives to driving — or they can turn the public against a project before it even gets off the ground. A new study outlined how to avoid the most common pilot pit...

April 14, 2025

StreetSmart Episode 6: Zack Deutsch-Gross and the CA Cap-and-Trade Program

Damien and Zack Deutsch-Gross discuss why the state needs to reauthorize its cap-and-trade program now even though it doesn't expire until 2030.

April 14, 2025
See all posts