Selective vehicle slowdown

A system for initiating an automated slowdown procedure within a vehicle, comprising:

• a system controller adapted to:
• receive, via a driver human machine interface (HMI), preferences from the driver related to initiation of the automated slowdown procedure and detect a request for initiation of the automated slowdown procedure;
• detect, with an occupant monitoring system, the presence and location of passengers, in addition to the driver, within the vehicle;
• identify, with the occupant monitoring system, at least one passenger located in a rear seating area of the vehicle;
• determine, based on the preferences from the driver, eligibility of the at least one passenger located in the rear seating area of the vehicle to request initiation of the automated slowdown procedure;
• and
• prompt, via the driver HMI, the driver of the vehicle for verification to initiate the automated slowdown procedure;
• and
• a vehicle control module, wherein the system controller is adapted to initiate, via the vehicle control module, the automated slowdown procedure when either one of:
• the driver provides, via the driver HMI, verification to initiate the automated slowdown procedure;
• or
• a response from the driver is not received within a pre-determined time.

A vehicle having a system for initiating an automated slowdown procedure within a vehicle, comprising:

• a system controller in communication with a driver human machine interface (HMI), wherein, the system controller is adapted to receive, via the driver HMI, preferences from a driver related to initiation of the automated slowdown procedure;
• an occupant monitoring system in communication with the system controller, wherein, the system controller is adapted to detect, with the occupant monitoring system, the presence and location of passengers, in addition to the driver, within the vehicle, identify, with the occupant monitoring system, at least one passenger located in a rear seating area of the vehicle, and determine, based on preferences from the driver, eligibility of the at least one passenger located in the rear seating area of the vehicle to request initiation of the automated slowdown procedure;
• a front seat actuator adapted to allow a request for initiation of the automated slowdown procedure to be made by at least one of the driver of the vehicle and a front seat passenger, and a rear seating area actuator adapted to allow a request for initiation of the automated slowdown procedure to be made by the at least one passenger located in the rear seating area, the system controller adapted to detect a request for initiation of the automated slowdown procedure by at least one of the front seat actuator and the rear seating actuator;
• the system controller further adapted to:
• prompt, via the driver HMI, the driver of the vehicle for verification to initiate the automated slowdown procedure;
• engage an automated driving mode;
• initiate, via a vehicle control module, the automated slowdown procedure when either one of:
• the driver provides, via the driver HMI, verification to initiate the automated slowdown procedure;
• or
• a response from the driver is not received within a pre-determined time;
• prompt, via the driver HMI, the driver of the vehicle with an option to selectively over-ride the automated slowdown procedure, and one of:
• continue with the automated slowdown procedure when the driver of the vehicle does not selectively over-ride, via the driver HMI, the automated slowdown procedure;
• or
• return control of the vehicle to the driver of the vehicle when the driver of the vehicle selectively over-rides, via the driver HMI, the automated slowdown procedure.