I have just seen one study (not exhaustive) that goes into some details about Tesla autopilot [0]
Participants emphasized being alert at all times, paying attention to the road environment and keeping hands on the wheel while in autonomous driving mode.
...
Drivers seem to enjoy these technologies, and are aware of the limitations of Autopilot and Summon. In the comments, we observed that drivers were highly motivated to use these technologies safely and have not seen indications of the concerns raised in the past such as engaging with secondary tasks while using Autopilot.
It wasn't obvious to me from those quotes: this study is an analysis of an online survey the authors posted in Tesla forums and I suppose on Twitter. It's not based on anything like neutral observation of real behavior.
"We conducted an online survey with 162 Tesla Owners. The survey was distributed through online forums and social media during April-May 2016. The survey asked questions about drivers’ attitudes towards and experiences with two functionalities built into Tesla Model S cars: Autopilot and Summon. Questions covered frequency of use, satisfaction, ease of learning and knowledge related to Autopilot and Summon. Additionally, we asked participants to report unusual or unexpected behaviors they experienced while using these systems and what they consider a key aspect of safety. The average time to complete the survey was 9.6 minutes."
Comments
I have just seen one study (not exhaustive) that goes into some details about Tesla autopilot [0]
...
[0] https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3005465
It wasn't obvious to me from those quotes: this study is an analysis of an online survey the authors posted in Tesla forums and I suppose on Twitter. It's not based on anything like neutral observation of real behavior.
"We conducted an online survey with 162 Tesla Owners. The survey was distributed through online forums and social media during April-May 2016. The survey asked questions about drivers’ attitudes towards and experiences with two functionalities built into Tesla Model S cars: Autopilot and Summon. Questions covered frequency of use, satisfaction, ease of learning and knowledge related to Autopilot and Summon. Additionally, we asked participants to report unusual or unexpected behaviors they experienced while using these systems and what they consider a key aspect of safety. The average time to complete the survey was 9.6 minutes."
From the abstract alone (can't access the full paper), that study seems indistinguishable from a Tesla PR puff piece.