Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death among teens 16-20 years of age (CDC 2015). It is widely accepted that this risk stems from inexperience and driving skill deficits among novice drivers. Recently developed advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have the potential to compensate for skill deficits and reduce overall crash risk. Yet, ADAS is only effective if drivers are willing to use it. Limited research has been conducted on the suitability of ADAS for teen drivers. The goal of this study is to identify teen drivers' perceived need for ADAS, receptiveness to in-vehicle technology, and intervention preferences. The long-term goal is to understand public perceptions and barriers to ADAS use and to help determine how these systems must evolve to meet the needs of the riskiest driving populations.

Three focus groups (N = 24) were conducted with licensed teen drivers aged 16-19 years. Discussion topics included views related to the impact of ADAS on teen driving behavior as well as technology preferences. Discussions were transcribed;​ the team used conventional content analysis and open coding methods to identify 12 coding domains and code transcripts with NVivo 10. This paper will focus on 3 themes:​ Views on customization of ADAS;​ ADAS as supplemental assistance;​ and overall value of ADAS. Inter Rater Reliability testing showed moderate to very high Kappa Scores.

Overall, participants recognized potential benefits of ADAS, including improved safety and crash reduction. Participants suggested that ADAS is still developing and therefore, at this stage, they would prefer it to be used as a supplemental aid to the driver, who will retain ultimate control. Participants overall agreed that ADAS technologies should be customizable to the needs and preferences of the end-user, and yet all agreed that this technology holds value and could be instrumental in reducing death and injury from motor vehicle crashes.

This study elicited important end-user viewpoints by exploring the intersection between advanced automobile safety technology and human perception for the particular use case of teen drivers. This understanding will ultimately advance the safety of teen drivers by identifying barriers to effective ADAS use.