A comparative simulator study of reaction times to yellow traffic light under manual and automated driving

Abstract This study analyzes and compares reaction times of motorists at the onset of a yellow traffic light under manual and automated driving, based on two experiments performed using a driving simulator. Results show that reaction times of subjects driving an automated vehicle that experiences a failure and crosses on red when approaching a signalized intersection are higher than those of subjects driving manually. When the analysis is restricted to automated driving, results indicate significant differences between reaction times at the first system failure and those at subsequent ones.