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ByJustinPritchard TheAssociatedPress LOS ANGELES New cars that can steer and brake themselves risk lulling peo- ple in the driver's seat into a false sense of security — and even to sleep. One way to keep people alert may be providing distractions that are now illegal. That was one surpris- ing finding when research- ers put Stanford University students in a simulated self- driving car to study how they reacted when their robo-chauffer needed help. The experiment was one in a growing number that assesses how cars can safely hand control back to a person when their self- driving software and sen- sors are overwhelmed or overmatched. With some models already able to stay in their lane or keep a safe distance from other traf- fic, and automakers push- ing for more automation, the car-to-driver handoff is a big open question. The elimination of dis- tracted driving is a major selling point for the tech- nology. But in the Stan- ford experiment, read- ing or watching a movie helped keep participants awake. Among the 48 students put in the driver's seat, 13 who were instructed to monitor the car and road began to nod off. Only three did so when told to watch a video or read from a tablet. Alertness mattered when students needed to grab the wheel because a simulated car or pedestrian got in the way. There's no consensus on the right car-to-driver handoff approach: the Stan- ford research suggests en- gaging people with media could help, while some au- tomakers are marketing vehicles with limited self- driving features that will slow the car if they detect a person has stopped paying attention to the road. Though research is on- going, it appears that peo- ple need at least 5 seconds to take over — if they're not totally checked out. Self-driving car experts at Google, which is pursu- ing the technology more aggressively than any au- tomaker, concluded that involving humans would make its cars less safe. Google's solution is a proto- type with no steering wheel or pedals — human control would be limited to go and stop buttons. Meanwhile, traditional automakers are phasing in the technology. Mer- cedes and Toyota sell cars that can hit the brakes and stay in their lane. By add- ing new features each year, they might produce a truly self-driving car in about a decade. One potential hazard of this gradualist approach became clear this fall, when Tesla Motors had to explain that its "auto pi- lot" feature did not mean drivers could stop paying attention. Several videos posted online showed peo- ple recording the novelty — then seizing the wheel when the car made a star- tling move. Starting late next year, the Cadillac CTS will get a Super Cruise system, which will allow semi-au- tonomous highway driv- ing. If the driver's eyes are off the road, and they don't respond to repeated prod- ding, the car slows. "We are in no way selling this as a technology where the driver can check out," General Motors spokes- man Dan Flores said. "You can relax, glance away, but you still have to be aware because you know the tech- nology's not foolproof." One riddle automakers must solve: How to get own- ers to trust the technology so they'll use it — but not trust it so much that they'll be lulled into a false sense of security and therefore slower to react when the car needs them. Trust was on the mind of researchers who in Au- gust published an exten- sive report on self-driv- ing cars funded by the Na- tional Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "Al- though this trust is essen- tial for widespread adop- tion, participants were also observed prioritizing non- driving activities over the operation of the vehicle," the authors wrote. Another wide-open ques- tion: How to alert the per- son in the driver's seat of the need to take over. It appears that the car should appeal to several senses. Visual warnings alone may not suffice. But combine a light with spo- ken instructions or phys- ical stimulation such as a vibrating seat, and people react more quickly. "If it is done courte- ously and subtle and not annoying, it could be missed by someone that is distracted," said Greg Fitch, a research scien- tist at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Then again, the way the car interacts with peo- ple will be one way auto- makers differentiate their product — and overbear- ing warnings may sour po- tential buyers. Other issues Fitch cites include "mode confusion" (making sure the car clearly informs the person whether or not it is driving itself) and clear explanations to drivers of what the car can — and cannot — handle. AUTOMOBILES Howcanpeoplesafelytake control from a self-driving car? MARCIOJOSESANCHEZ—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Stephanie Balters, of Krefeld, Germany, a visiting student from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, regains control of a self-driving a er a simulator indicates she has veered off the road at the Stanford Automotive Innovation Facility on Wednesday in Stanford. BEN MARGOT — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Abalone divers brave Pacific Ocean surf as they hunt for the shellfish at low tide in Fort Ross. By Janie Har The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO A diver was found dead after searching for abalone off the coast of Northern Cal- ifornia, becoming at least the ninth person to perish this year while seeking the delicacy. The body of Eric Stine, 58, was discovered Sun- day in the surf in Manches- ter State Beach, 140 miles north of San Francisco, au- thorities said. A diving friend had re- ported Stine, of Vallejo, California, went missing Saturday. Stine becomes at least the ninth person to die in Northern California while diving for the delicacy this season, which started April 1 and ends Monday. Six divers have died in coastal Mendocino County alone. The section of Northern California from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border is the only place in the country where recre- ational divers can hunt for abalone, said Ian Tanigu- chi, a senior environmen- tal scientist for the Cali- fornia Department of Fish and Wildlife. About 30,000 people register each year for a license, including divers from as far away as New Jersey and Texas. Body of abalone diver fo un d al on g th e co as t NORTHERN CALIFORNIA By Robert Jablon The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Los Ange- les County sheriff's Dep- uty Adam Collette knelt on the asphalt and heard the muffled cries of a baby who had been buried alive. He pried up two large pieces of asphalt, dug out loose dirt and plucked the newborn girl from the hole along a bike path, cradling her in his arms. "I think the baby had a sigh of relief, and so did I," Collette said Monday. "We kind of felt each other like, 'Hey, everything's going to be OK." The girl, estimated to be 24 to 36 hours old when she was found Friday, was healthy and in stable con- dition at a hospital. "I think the baby defi- nitely had a touch of God that day," Collette said at a news conference. Authorities urged the unknown mother to come forward in case she needs medical attention and also put out a call for people who might want to provide a foster home for the baby. Two sisters walking on the bike path near a river- bed in suburban Compton heard the child's cries Fri- day afternoon, Sheriff Jim McDonnell said. "My sister said, 'Can you hear a baby crying?' And I said no, I don't know," An- gelica Blount told KCBS- TV. "That might be a cat. And she said, 'No, that is a baby.'" Blount and her sister Evangelina McCrary called 911. Collette and Deputy Da- vid Perry arrived and tried to track down the muffled cries, finally tracing it to a 2-foot-wide, semicircular hole, McDonnell said. The hole, in the pave- ment at the base of a fence, was filled with loose dirt, vegetation and pieces of asphalt. Collette and his partner knelt and be- gan removing the asphalt chunks. LOS ANGELES Deputy describes rescue of newborn buried alive LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy holds an infant girl where she was found abandoned under asphalt and rubble near a bike path in Compton. SURVIVAL COUNTRY Firearms&MilitarySurplus A Store for Survivalists We Buy & Sell Guns Local Veteran Owned & Operated Prepare Today To Survive Tomorrow Open M-F 9-6 3 6 6 - 3 0 0 2 3 6 6 - 3 0 0 2 124 So. 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