title: Drivers' communicative interactions: on-road observations and modelling for integration in future automation systems.
abstract: Social interactions with other road users are an essential component of the driving activity and may prove critical in view of future automation systems; still up to now they have received only limited attention in the scientific literature. In this paper, it is argued that drivers base their anticipations about the traffic scene to a large extent on observations of social behaviour of other 'animate human-vehicles'. It is further argued that in cases of uncertainty, drivers seek to establish a mutual situational awareness through deliberate communicative interactions. A linguistic model is proposed for modelling these communicative interactions. Empirical evidence from on-road observations and analysis of concurrent running commentary by 25 experienced drivers support the proposed model. It is suggested that the integration of a social interactions layer based on illocutionary acts in future driving support and automation systems will improve their performance towards matching human driver's expectations. Practitioner Summary: Interactions between drivers on the road may play a significant role in traffic coordination. On-road observations and running commentaries are presented as empirical evidence to support a model of such interactions; incorporation of drivers' interactions in future driving support and automation systems may improve their performance towards matching driver's expectations.
authors.affiliation: a Sector of Industrial Management and Operations Research, School of Mechanical Engineering, Ergonomics Unit , National Technical University of Athens , Zografou , Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Portouli
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nathanael
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marmaras
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological; D001331:Automation / Q000379:methods*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001336:Automobiles; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012919:Social Behavior
keywords: anticipation of intent; drivers' interactions; driving support and automation systems; linguistic model