Effect of motorcycle lighting configurations on drivers’ perceptions of closing during nighttime driving

ObjectiveThe aims were to better understand how drivers perceive an approaching set of motorcycle headlights during nighttime driving and to determine whether alternative motorcycle headlight configurations improve drivers’ perceptual judgments of closing for an oncoming motorcycle.BackgroundMotorcyclists account for a disproportionate number of roadway fatalities, especially at night. One potential cause of this is drivers’ misjudgments of a motorcycle’s approach.MethodThe first experiment examined whether drivers were more sensitive to horizontal or vertical optical expansion and whether drivers could integrate these two dimensions to achieve a lower looming threshold. A second experiment built on these results to test whether alternative headlight configurations that maximized size were better than other motorcycle headlight configurations and a car’s headlights. In both experiments, participants were instructed to press a button to indicate when they first perceived an oncoming vehicle to be closing under nighttime driving conditions.ResultsHeadlight orientation did not affect when drivers perceived closing, and drivers were not able to integrate optical expansion from multiple dimensions in a way that achieves a lower looming threshold. However, the alternative motorcycle headlight configurations that accentuated the full extent of a motorcycle’s size resulted in drivers perceiving closing sooner than other motorcycle headlight configurations but not sooner than a car.ConclusionDrivers perceive closing sooner for larger headlight configurations except when the headlight configurations are relatively small, in which case the effect of headlight size is attenuated.ApplicationDrivers’ perceptual judgments of motorcycles may improve when motorcycles have headlights that span its full height.     

Using an Advance Time Meter display as means to reduce driving speed

ObjectiveTesting an experimental means to reduce motivation to drive fast.BackgroundOne determinant of that motivation may be a wrong presumption, demonstrated here: Time to reach destination declines about linearly to increase in driving speed. Actually, that time is a linear function of advance time, the inverse of speed. It is hypothesized that the behavioral by-product of the popularity of that fallacy could be counteracted by introducing an essential change to the speed-based continuous feedback provided to the driver – from a speedometer displaying instantaneous velocity to a gauge reporting advance time (denoted ATM), so that both average driving speed and speed variance are reduced.MethodIn two driving simulator experiments, driving speed of participants presented with either of the two types of gauge was recorded.ResultsThe main finding is that driving with feedback provided by an ATM gauge following prior briefing led to a significant reduction – ∼11 km/h – in mean speed, as well as to a significant reduction in between-driver speed variability, as compared with driving with an ordinary speedometer. It was also found that no significant difference was observed in the speeding behavior of participants driving with an ATM display for three ∼2-h sessions administered in three different days, so that the last session took place within seven days from the first one.ConclusionThe ATM gauge serves to reduce motivation to speed.ApplicationWidespread use of the ATM gauge may result in reduction in number and intensity of accidents.     

Can traffic violations be traced to gender-role,sensation seeking,demographics and driving exposure?

BackgroundTraffic safety is often expressed as the ‘inverse of accidents’. However, it is more than the mere absence of accidents. Past studies often looked for associations between accidents and self-reports like the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ; Reason, Manstead, Stradling, Baxter, & Campbell, 1990). The focus in this study changed from counting accidents to quantifying unsafe acts as violations. The objective was to show that drivers' specific violations can be traced to personal characteristics such as sensation seeking (SSS-V; Zuckerman, 1994), gender role (BSRI; Bem sex role inventory, Bem, 1974), demographics, and driving exposure.MethodA web-based questionnaire was distributed, integrating several known questionnaires. Five hundred and twenty-seven questionnaires were completed and analyzed.ResultsSensation seeking, gender role, experience, and age predicted respondents’ score on the DBQ, as well as the interaction of sensation seeking with gender and gender role. Gender role was a more valid predictor of driver behavior than gender.ConclusionsThe effect of gender role on drivers’ self-reported violation tendency is the most interesting and the most intriguing finding of this survey and indicates the need to further examine gender role affects in driving.     

How impressions of other drivers affect one’s behavior when merging lanes

In recent years, systems have been developed to realize automatic driving based on objective information such as the relative distance and relative speed between vehicles. However, humans still must drive in complex situations, for instance, when merging lanes. In such driving situations, it is possible that people make decisions based not only on objective information, but also on subjective information. This study examined how subjective information, specifically, a driver’s impression of the other vehicle, affects the decision to merge in front of or behind the other vehicle when merging lanes on a highway. Twenty participants (n_male = 10; n_female = 10; M_age = 43.92 [SD_age = 11.40]) joined two experiments, Days 1E and 2E, using a driving simulator. Two months after participating in Day 1E the participants joined Day 2E. In the Day 1E, they drove either on the merging lane or the main lane and merged lanes while considering the other vehicle driving along the adjacent lane. This experiment measured the probability that the participants drove in front of another vehicle upon merging, which is defined as “lead probability.” The Day 2E was similar to 1E, except for the manipulation of the participants’ impression of the other vehicle as being aggressive/cautious via acceleration/deceleration of the other vehicle, and through the contents of the instructions regarding the other vehicle’s driving characteristics. In the Day 2E, the participants were randomly assigned to two: Aggressive or Cautious conditions. As the result of comparing the lead probabilities, it was found that only when the participants were driving on the merging lane and had the impression that the other vehicle is aggressive, the impression lowered the lead probability. The result indicates that people make decisions based not only on objective information but also on subjective information for specific driving situations, such as merging lanes. These findings can help in the development of automated driving systems that allow safer merging.     

Do aggressive driving and negative emotional driving mediate the link between impulsiveness and risky driving among young Italian drivers?

ABSTRACT

The present study examined the contribution of impulsiveness and aggressive and negative emotional driving to the prediction of traffic violations and accidents taking into account potential mediation effects. Three hundred and four young drivers completed self-report measures assessing impulsiveness, aggressive and negative emotional driving, driving violations, and accidents. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the direct and indirect effects of impulsiveness on violations and accidents among young drivers through aggressive and negative emotional driving. Impulsiveness only indirectly influenced drivers’ violations on the road via both the behavioral and emotional states of the driver. On the contrary, impulsiveness was neither directly nor indirectly associated with traffic accidents. Therefore, impulsiveness modulates young drivers’ behavioral and emotional states while driving, which in turn influences risky driving.     

遮挡范式下运动速度和方向对碰撞时间估计绩效指标的影响

为探索运动速度和方向对碰撞时间（TTC）估计的影响,采用3运动速度×4运动方向的双因素设计开展了实验研究。结果发现,在相对慢速条件下,受试者TTC估计的准确性显著差于相对中速和相对快速条件;仅在相对慢速条件下受试者对竖直方向的TTC估计准确度显著差于水平方向、低估TTC的比例显著高于高估TTC的比例。结果表明,运动速度对TTC估计绩效指标的影响相对较强,运动方向对其影响相对较弱;两个因素的影响存在交互作用。     

Relationship between driving styles and biological behavior of drivers in negative emotional state

ObjectiveThis paper explores the links between driving style and the biological behavior of people while driving with dangerous negative emotions (such as anger, anxiety, and fear).BackgroundIt is highly important to study the behavior of humans from varying aspects to discover the factors affecting it. Driving style, as one of the critical aspects of the human factor, and biological behavior, as a factor influencing the performance of individuals, motivate us to examine the relationship between the two.MethodFor this purpose, a test was designed to record the biological signal data, namely, the Electrocardiogram (ECG), Electroencephalogram (EEG), Electromyogram (EMG), and Electrodermal activity (EDA), in a driving simulator with driving events prompting negative emotions. The Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI) was employed to determine the driving style of participants.ResultsCorrelation analysis was engaged for data analysis. The results showed, firstly, a significant relationship between the participants’ driving style and their biological behavior and, secondly, the highest correlation between the EEG signal and driving style. Moreover, participants with a nervous and anxious style showed maximum change in biological behavior, while those with a reckless style displayed minimum alterations in biological behavior at the time of unpleasant events during driving.ConclusionConduction of such research can help better understand the behavior of different people while facing unpleasant driving events.     

Analysis of the factors influencing overtaking in two-lane highways: A driving simulator study

BackgroundHuman factors are among the leading causes of frontal collision accidents. Therefore, understanding the factors that affect driver behaviour during overtaking is essential.ObjectiveThis research proposed a methodology to observe passing manoeuvres on two-lane highways in a driving simulator and to investigate the effects of the speed of an impeding vehicle, the type of the vehicle to be overtaken and the passing sight distance on the following gap distance as an indicator of driver behaviour.MethodThe repeated measures experiment allowed for 640 possible overtakings with a sample of 80 participants. The speed of the impeding vehicle, the type of the impeding vehicle and the passing sight distance were used as within-subject factors with eight treatments. The driver’s age, gender, and experience were considered the between-subject factors.ResultsWhen the speed of the impeding vehicle was 60 km/h, the participants adopted a following gap in passing sight distance of 446 m (M = 81.32 m), which was larger than the following gap in passing sight distance of 560 m (M = 70.84 m).ConclusionAmong the factors that were considered, the effect of the speed of an impeding vehicle on the following gap at the beginning of overtaking was higher than the effect of the type of the impeding vehicle or the passing sight distance. Together, these combination values can describe the driver behaviour and help to improve the standards-based design values to increase safety.     

危险类型对公交驾驶员危险知觉的影响

结合反应时方法和多维度驾驶风格量表,以140名公交驾驶员为研究对象,采用2（危险类型：隐藏危险、明显危险）×2（驾驶员分组：有无交通违规/事故记录）的混合实验设计考察危险类型对危险知觉的影响。结果发现：驾驶员对明显危险的反应时比隐藏危险短,无交通违规/事故记录驾驶员对明显和隐藏危险的反应时均比有交通违规/事故记录驾驶员短。控制驾驶风格后,危险类型主效应不再显著。结果表明,公交驾驶员危险知觉的特点随着危险类型不同而变化。     

Driver's avoidance characteristics to hazardous situations: A driving simulator study

When analyzing the causes of an accident, it is critical to determine whether the driver could have prevented the accident. In previous studies on the reaction times of drivers, the definition and values of reaction times vary, so applying reaction time is difficult. In such analysis, the driver’s reaction time from perception is required to determine whether the driver could have prevented the accident, but past studies are difficult to utilize in accident analysis as reaction time measurements were taken after the occurrence of hazardous situations. In this study, 93 subjects from age groups ranging from 20 s to 40 s participated in an experiment inside a full-scale driving simulator, to determine reaction time values that can be practically applied to accident analysis. A total of 4 hazardous accident situations were reproduced, including driving over the centerline, pedestrian jaywalking, a vehicle cutting in, and intersection traffic signal violation. The Time-To-Collision (TTC) was 2.5 s and the driving speed was set to the common city road speed limits of 60 and 80 km/h. An eye tracker was used to determine the driver’s Saccade Latency (SL) during hazardous situations. Brake Reaction Time from Perception (BRT_P), Steer Reaction Time from Perception (SRT_P), and Driver Reaction Time from Perception (DRT_P) were derived, and the measurements were statistically analyzed to investigate differences by age group, gender, speed, and type of hazardous situation. Most participants were found to avoid collisions by braking first rather than steering for the presented hazardous situations, except for the cutting in situation. Also, to determine a reaction time that would cover most drivers, the 85th percentile of DRT_P was calculated. The 85th percentile of DRT_P was in the range of 0.550 – 0.800 s. Specifically for each hazardous situation, it was 0.650 s for driving over the centerline, 0.800 s for the pedestrian jaywalking, 0.660 s for cutting in, and 0.550 s for the intersection traffic signal violation. For all 4 hazardous situations combined, the 85th percentile of DRT_P was 0.646 s. The findings can be utilized to determine the driver’s likelihood of avoiding accidents when faced with similar hazardous situations.     

Driving errors,estimated performance and individual characteristics under simulated and real road traffic conditions – A validation study

BackgroundThe suitability of driving simulators for the prediction of driving behaviour in road traffic has been able to be confirmed in respect of individual assessment parameters. However, there is a need for overarching approaches that take into account the interaction between various influencing factors in order to establish proof of validity. The aim of this study was to explore the validity of our driving simulator in respect of its ability to predict driving behaviour based on participants‘ observed driving errors and driver’s individual characteristics.Method41 healthy participants were assessed both in a Smart-Realo-Simulator and on the road. By means of linear modelling, the correlation between observed driving errors was investigated. In addition, the influence of self-reported and externally assessed driving behaviour as well as individual parameters (education and training; driving history) were analysed.ResultsBy including these factors, 58% of the variance could be explained. For observed driving errors, a relative validity was established. For self-reported and externally assessed driving behaviour, an absolute to relative validity emerged. The amount of time spent in education and training proved to have a significant influence on driving performance in the simulator, but not on the road.DiscussionIn general, our results confirmed the validity of our driving simulator with regard to observed and self-reported driving behaviour. It emerged that education and training as potential indicators of cognitive resources played a differential role regarding the study conditions. Since real road driving is considerably automated in experienced drivers, this result suggests that simulation-related behavioural regulation is challenged by additional cognitive demands as opposed to behavioural regulation extending to real road driving. However, the source of these additional cognitive demands remains currently elusive and may form the subject of future research.     

A qualitative exploration of apprehended women’s experience of drink driving events

BackgroundIn Australia, drink driving remains a serious road safety issue. The few studies that have addressed drink driving behaviour amongst women often focus on aggregated statistical comparisons to men or view the concept of drink driving as part of broader criminological behaviour. In contrast, scant research has directly focused on convicted female drink drivers. The aim of this study was to explore the factors that contribute to drink driving in a cohort of women convicted for drink driving and examine why these women were unsuccessful in mitigating the risk of engaging in drink driving behaviour.MethodThe study thematically analysed the narratives of 14 women who had been apprehended and subsequently convicted of a drink driving offence in the state of Queensland (Australia). All participants were recruited by way of their attendance at a drink driving education program.ResultsOverall examination of participants’ narratives revealed drink driving behaviour derived from a complex set of processes including taking a risk, using alcohol to self-medicate and alleviate psychological distress, basing the decision to drive on subjective assessment, and past engagement in drink driving behaviour and punishment avoidance. Underpinning these themes was the participants lack of awareness about the increasing risks associated with their alcohol consumption levels, with cognisance only being achieved after apprehension.ConclusionThese findings add to the limited research addressing drink driving behaviour among women and highlight important factors to explain why women are increasingly engaging in this risky behaviour.     

The effects of an interactive cognitive task (ICT) in suppressing fatigue symptoms in driving

BackgroundProlonged drive on inter-urban, monotonous roads has the potential of causing a decrease in the general level of arousal leading to a state of underload and fatigue. This study examines the effectiveness of an interactive cognitive task (ICT) in delaying fatigue symptoms induced by underload conditions. The ICT is an auditory-motor task which is based on the basic principles of a knowledge game known as “Trivia”.MethodTen participants took part in two experimental sessions of 140 min drive in a fixed-base simulator. In a within-subject counterbalanced design one session consisted of driving without ICT and the other included ICT operation. In the ICT session the game was activated after 60 min of driving.ResultsWhen activated, the ICT increased physiological indicators of arousal, increased subjective feelings of alertness, and improved driving performance. The physiological and driving performance measures revealed that the ICT activation had an immediate but localized influence on arousal. Post-drive questionnaires showed that in the ICT condition, the participants’ level of motivation increased and their feelings of sleepiness decreased.ConclusionsEngaging in cognitive tasks can counteract the effects of underload and increases driving safety as long as they are active. However, additional research is necessary to determine the effects of long term use.     

Effects of training and display content on Level 2 driving automation interface usability

IntroductionLevel 2 driving automation features, such as adaptive cruise control (ACC) combined with lane centering, primarily communicate their operating statuses through the instrument cluster. It remains unclear how interface-specific training and display content influence the ability to understand Level 2 activity in production vehicles.MethodsEighty participants viewed videos recorded from the driver’s point of view in a variety of driving scenarios with Level 2 activity displayed in the instrument cluster of a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Half viewed one of two instrument cluster layouts (simple or complex), and half received an orientation to the interface before the experiment. After each video, they were asked about the scenario they had just seen. We then examined what information in the displays participants used to identify Level 2 activity and the usability of the displays.ResultsTraining improved recognition accuracy of when lane centering was temporarily inactive and understanding of why it was inactive. Neither training nor display content affected the ability to recognize when ACC had adjusted the vehicle’s speed or detected a vehicle ahead, or when ACC initially did not detect a lead vehicle and understanding of why it had not detected it. Both factors influenced which sources of information participants used to determine Level 2 activity. Recognition accuracy of system activity improved when participants used valid sources of information. Training, but not display content, improved lane centering usability, but not ACC usability.DiscussionBasic training improves detection of notifications that potentially require further driver action, but not of those that display persistent status information. Training does not result in full understanding of all system notifications or functional limitations, which reinforces the need for intuitive, salient communication about system behavior and its limitations.     

Using physiological and behavioral measurements in a picture-based road hazard perception experiment to classify risky and safe drivers

Every year, a considerable number of people got injured or even lost their lives in road traffic accidents. To decrease the number of fatalities and injuries, researchers are seeking methods to identify and restrain drivers before the happening of actual traffic accidents, who possess dangerous driving behaviors and may cause road traffic accidents. Such methods are usually exploited to decide drivers’ fitness to drive—an indicator to describe whether they are fit for driving. The aim of this study is to measure drivers’ physiological and behavioral responses to road hazards and to extract features from measurements for further classification of risky and safe drivers. 42 drivers participated in a picture-based road hazard perception experiment, where electroencephalography (EEG), electrodermal activity (EDA), behavioral responses to road hazards, multidimensional driving style inventory (MDSI) questionnaire, and demographic information were recorded. Results indicated that 5 specific physiological features regarding to road hazard perception showed significant differences between risky and safe drivers. Subsequently, participants were classified into risky or safe drivers group by applying only the 5 features. 81.82% and 77.78% accuracy of classification were attained for risky and safe drivers, respectively. It was evidenced that using physiological and behavioral responses to evaluate drivers’ road hazard perception might be utilized as a tool to measure drivers’ fitness to drive. For further studies, improvements to future experiment design were discussed.     

时距估计中的锚定效应

采用两种时距估计方法,检验时距锚定值对时距估计的影响,并探讨了时距信息的心理表征方式。63名在校大学生参加了本次实验。实验1采用口头报告法,表明较大的时距锚定值（5s,5000ms）条件下,被试估对时距的估计值较大,而较小时距锚定值（1s,1000ms）条件下被试估计的时距值较小;语义相同但表述方式不同的锚定值（1s与1000ms,5s与5000ms）条件下的时距估计值没有显著差异。实验2采用产生法,进一步表明时距表述方式对产生时距没有显著影响。以上结果表明,时距估计受时距锚定值的影响,时距信息可能以语义形式进行表征,而不是简单的数字加单位的表层表征形式     

A simulator study of factors influencing drivers’ behavior at traffic lights

Drivers’ reactions to changing traffic lights have an impact on safety at intersections. We examined the influence of transient factors – more specifically time pressure and social context, both conducive to traffic-light violation – on behavior behind the wheel when a traffic light changes. We carried out an experiment on a driving simulator. The participants were 94 car drivers (53 males) with a mean age of 21.7 years. They drove under time pressure vs. no time pressure. At several intersections the participants were alone (no other drivers present), whereas at several other intersections they were behind a line-up of vehicles, the last of which ran the yellow light (other drivers present). As expected, time pressure and social context (presence of other drivers) increased participants’ risky behaviors while approaching, and going through traffic lights, as well as undesirable rapid accelerations when the signal changes to green. The effect of time pressure on yellow-light running was not mediated by approach speed, which showed that participants in a hurry were likely to run lights intentionally. The results are interpreted in view of proposing effective measures for reducing yellow-light running and rapid accelerations at traffic lights.     

The impact of auditory continual feedback on take-overs in Level 3 automated vehicles

ObjectiveTo implement auditory continual feedback into the interface design of a Level 3 automated vehicle and to test whether gaze behavior and reaction times of drivers improved in take-over situations.BackgroundWhen required to assume manual control in take-over situations, drivers of Level 3 automated vehicles are less likely than conventional drivers to spot potential hazards, and their reaction time is longer. Therefore, it is crucial that the interface of Level 3 automated vehicles will be designed to improve drivers’ performance in take-over situations.MethodIn two experiments, participants drove a simulated route in a Level 3 automated vehicle for 35 min with one imminent take-over event. Participants’ gaze behavior and performance in an imminent take-over event were monitored under one of three auditory interface designs: (1) Continual feedback. A system that provides verbal driving-related feedback; (2) Persistent feedback. A system that provides verbal driving-related feedback and a persistent beep; and (3) Chatter feedback. A system that provides verbal non-driving-related feedback. Also, there was a control group without feedback.ResultsUnder all three auditory feedback designs, the number of drivers' on-road glances increased compared to no feedback, but none of the designs shortened reaction time to the imminent event.ConclusionIncreasing the number of on-road glances during automated driving does not necessarily improve drivers’ attention to the road and their reaction times during take-overs.ApplicationPossible implications for the effectiveness of auditory continual feedback should be considered when designing interfaces for Level 3 automated vehicles.