The impact of operating heavy equipment vehicles on lower back disorders

The first paper examined how the variables related to driving performance were impacted by the management of holding a phone conversation. However, the conditions under which this dual task is carried out are dependent upon a set of factors that may particularly influence the risk of crash. These conditions are defined by several independent variables, classified into five main categories: i) legislation; ii) phone type (hands-free or hand-held); iii) drivers' features regarding age, gender, personal individual profile and driving experience; iv) conversation content (casual or professional) and its context (held with passengers or with a cell (mobile) phone); v) driving conditions (actual or simulated driving, road type, traffic density and weather). These independent variables determine the general conditions. The way in which these factors are combined and interact one with another thus determines the risk that drivers undergo when a cell phone is used while driving. Finally, this review defined the general conditions of driving for which managing a phone conversation is likely to elicit a high risk of car crash or, conversely, may provide a situation of lower risk, with sufficient acceptance to ensure safety.     

Warn me now or inform me later: Drivers' acceptance of real-time and post-drive distraction mitigation systems

Vehicle crashes caused by driver distraction are of increasing concern. One approach to reduce the number of these crashes mitigates distraction by giving drivers feedback regarding their performance. For these mitigation systems to be effective, drivers must trust and accept them. The objective of this study was to evaluate real-time and post-drive mitigation systems designed to reduce driver distraction. The real-time mitigation system used visual and auditory warnings to alert the driver to distracting behavior. The post-drive mitigation system coached drivers on their performance and encouraged social conformism by comparing their performance to peers. A driving study with 36 participants between the ages of 25 and 50 years old (M=34) was conducted using a high-fidelity driving simulator. An extended Technology Acceptance Model captured drivers' acceptance of mitigation systems using four constructs: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, unobtrusiveness, and behavioral intention to use. Perceived ease of use was found to be the primary determinant and perceived usefulness the secondary determinant of behavioral intention to use, while the effect of unobtrusiveness on intention to use was fully mediated by perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. The real-time system was more obtrusive and less easy to use than the post-drive system. Although this study included a relatively narrow age range (25 to 50 years old), older drivers found both systems more useful. These results suggest that informing drivers with detailed information of their driving performance after driving is more acceptable than warning drivers with auditory and visual alerts while driving.     

How does people's trust in automated vehicles change after automation errors occur? An empirical study on dynamic trust in automated driving

When errors of automated vehicles (AVs) occur, drivers' trust can easily be destroyed, resulting in the reduction of the use of AVs. This study aims to examine how error of AVs declines driver's trust by impacting their subjective perceptions. A driving simulator experiment is conducted, in which 104 participants (male = 58; female = 46) experienced automated driving with automation errors and rated their trust. The results indicate that automation error will affect the driver's perceived predictability, perceived reliability, and perceived safety, which will lead to the decline of trust and abandonment of automated driving. With the occurrence of automation error of AVs, perceived safety plays a more critical role in drivers' trust. In addition, when automation errors occur in specific tasks with low risk, the trust of drivers will drop faster than that in high-risk tasks. This paper has explored the internal effects of the decline of driver's trust after automation errors of AVs, and further considers the influence of different external risks on these perception factors and trust. This study can help AVs manufacturers to formulate different degrees of trust repair strategies according to different driving tasks and accident severity.     

Analysis of truck drivers’ unsafe driving behaviors using four machine learning methods

Unsafe driving behaviors are the leading causes of truck crashes. Therefore, an enhanced understanding of truck drivers' unsafe driving behaviors is of considerable significance for preventing truck crashes. However, previous studies have rarely encompassed proactive factors such as safety management. Therefore, a classification framework for truck drivers' unsafe driving behaviors was established according to a survey of 2000 truck drivers using four machine learning models (CART, RT, AdaBoost, and GBDT). The classification framework included six first-level input dimensions, 51 s-level input indicators, covering both objective and proactive factors. Nine types of unsafe driving behaviors were determined as outputs. Unique risk factors associated with each of nine unsafe driving behaviors were identified. The results showed that the model's predictive performance varies with different driving behaviors (Classification Accuracy ranges from 0.64 to 0.95, F1-score ranges from 0.52 to 0.72), which was caused by different formation mechanisms of different driving behaviors. Similarly, the results related to factor importance for different driving behaviors were also significantly different, regardless of the first-level and second-level factors. Furthermore, the correlation analysis and OR value strengthened the interpretability of the factor importance, revealing possible reasons for the differences between various driving behaviors.     

Good intentions: drivers’ decisions to engage with technology on the road and in a driving simulator

Distraction-related accidents are, more often than not, due to the drivers’ voluntarily engagement with a secondary task. Therefore, the strategic management of in-vehicle tasks and the drivers’ decision to engage with them is an important aspect of the driver distraction phenomenon that needs to be addressed. While the consequences of distracting tasks are often assessed in settings where the risk of engaging is reduced (i.e., simulators), the drivers’ decision to engage with secondary tasks is often ignored. This study assessed the drivers’ decision to engage with secondary tasks using verbal protocols to provide insights into the drivers’ intention within a naturalistic driving setting, on the road, and in a simulated driving environment. This enabled an understanding of when drivers engage with technological distractions, why they choose to do so, as well as how they may go about doing it. Different road types were found to differentially impact the drivers’ intention to engage, as did the types of secondary tasks, with some tasks having an increased willingness to engage compared to others. Factors that increase and/or reduce the likelihood of engaging are presented. The decisions that drivers made to engage with secondary tasks in the simulator were found to correlate strongly to their decision to so on the road. This provides support for the use of simulators when assessing the drivers’ decision to engage with secondary tasks. The effect of verbal protocols on the drivers’ speed metrics was assessed to determine how they may have affected their driving performance.     

Partially automated driving has higher workload than manual driving: An on-road comparison of three contemporary vehicles with SAE Level 2 features

Vehicles with SAE Level 2 automated features are already in active use on the road, and vehicles with Level 3 or 4 will be with us soon. Although the vehicles provide support for longitudinal and lateral control, partially automated driving experience is sometimes more demanding than manual driving. However, the effects of automated driving on workload in naturalistic conditions have not been extensively investigated, as most studies have been undertaken in driving simulators. This study aims to extend the current understanding about workload in partially automated driving on public roads. Drivers' perceived workload was assessed after conducting manual and automated driving activities using a small sample (N = 8). They performed driving tasks in three contemporary vehicles with SAE Level 2 features, in highway and urban environments. The comparative findings revealed that drivers' perceived workload was higher in partially automated driving than manual driving. Furthermore, perceived workload was higher in urban environments than highway environments and in less experienced drivers than more experienced drivers. Although the findings may need to be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size, they provide a future research agenda that can be built upon.     

Profiles in driver distraction: effects of cell phone conversations on younger and older drivers

Our research examined the effects of hands-free cell phone conversations on simulated driving. We found that driving performance of both younger and older adults was influenced by cell phone conversations. Compared with single-task (i.e., driving-only) conditions, when drivers used cell phones their reactions were 18% slower, their following distance was 12% greater, and they took 17% longer to recover the speed that was lost following braking. There was also a twofold increase in the number of rear-end collisions when drivers were conversing on a cell phone. These cell-phone-induced effects were equivalent for younger and older adults, suggesting that older adults do not suffer a significantly greater penalty for talking on a cell phone while driving than compared with their younger counterparts. Interestingly, the net effect of having younger drivers converse on a cell phone was to make their average reactions equivalent to those of older drivers who were not using a cell phone. Actual or potential applications of this research include providing guidance for recommendations and regulations concerning the use of mobile technology while driving.     

Drivers Using Mobile Phones in Traffic: An Ethnographic Study of Interactional Adaptation

Abstract

Mobile phone use in cars is a highly debated issue. Legislation and policy discussions flourish in many countries and coincide with an increased effort in design of new in-car technologies. The studies that influence policy and design decisions use experimental approaches and are based on a cognitive perspective. This article discusses why this is a problematic approach. Further, the article provides data and initial results from an ethnographic study of mobile phone use in traffic, where the aim is to investigate the interactional adaptation by which the driver fit the involvement with the phone with driving and vice versa. By taking part of drivers'daily work and video recording their activities of driving and handling the mobile phone, details are revealed that could not be found in experimental studies with a constructed setup. The article ends with a discussion of the benefits of this method and how it can be developed further.     

基于大规模GPS轨迹数据的出租车换道行为研究

出租车换道行为的统计特性对研究经济、心理等人类动力学有重要的意义.结合大数据分析技术,基于西安市出租车GPS轨迹数据对出租车司机的换道行为进行了定量研究.设计了一种基于出租车GPS轨迹数据的出租车司机换道行为识别模型,利用大数据平台对出租车司机换道次数按不同时段进行了定量统计,对出租车司机换道次数、出租车平均行驶速度和出租车司机的收入之间进行了相关性分析.分析结果表明,出租车频繁换道行为对司机收益呈现负相关影响,进一步说明出租车司机驾驶习惯和和心理对整个出租车运营有显著影响.     

A comparison of visual ability and its importance awareness between novice and experienced drivers

The visual ability factors of peripheral perception, visual reaction and visual pursuit ability are important for safe driving. Thus, this study explored the influence of driving experience on these visual ability factors. Sixty-five drivers, including novice and experienced drivers, participated in this study. The visual ability levels of the three factors were measured by the Vienna Test System. In addition, driver's awareness of the three factors' importance for safe driving was measured by questionnaire items. Results showed that out of the three factors, drivers' peripheral perception ability was correlated significantly with their driving experience. Experienced drivers had higher peripheral perception ability than that of novice drivers. In addition, compared with novice drivers, experienced drivers believed that peripheral perception was more important whereas visual reaction was less important. It is suggested that higher attention should be paid to peripheral perception in driving training and novice drivers should increase their importance awareness for this factor.     

A comparison of the cell phone driver and the drunk driver

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research was to determine the relative impairment associated with conversing on a cellular telephone while driving. BACKGROUND: Epidemiological evidence suggests that the relative risk of being in a traffic accident while using a cell phone is similar to the hazard associated with driving with a blood alcohol level at the legal limit. The purpose of this research was to provide a direct comparison of the driving performance of a cell phone driver and a drunk driver in a controlled laboratory setting. METHOD: We used a high-fidelity driving simulator to compare the performance of cell phone drivers with drivers who were intoxicated from ethanol (i.e., blood alcohol concentration at 0.08% weight/volume). RESULTS: When drivers were conversing on either a handheld or hands-free cell phone, their braking reactions were delayed and they were involved in more traffic accidents than when they were not conversing on a cell phone. By contrast, when drivers were intoxicated from ethanol they exhibited a more aggressive driving style, following closer to the vehicle immediately in front of them and applying more force while braking. CONCLUSION: When driving conditions and time on task were controlled for, the impairments associated with using a cell phone while driving can be as profound as those associated with driving while drunk. APPLICATION: This research may help to provide guidance for regulation addressing driver distraction caused by cell phone conversations.     

Assessment of drivers' visual perception of information displayed in LED traffic signs at road construction sites

This study investigated drivers' visual perception of information displayed in LED traffic signs under different levels of environmental luminance. Concerning the information displayed, the environmental luminance comprised four luminance contrasts, two arrow types, and three environmental luminances, which were used to identify the visibility of traffic signs at the reading distance. Regarding visible distance, visibility involved reading starting and end points, extent of glare, comfortable distance, and glare distance. According to the study results obtained by using a highly reliable glare assessment method and studying the LED traffic signs, the lower the luminance contrast of traffic signs was the higher glare the participants perceived. A luminance contrast of 6200:2066 cd/m² provided the farthest comfortable and glare distances, enabling drivers to notice the signs comparatively earlier and have sufficient time to react accordingly. Overall, arrow type “<<<” outperformed “←” because the former was easier for drivers to read and created less glare. Regarding environmental luminance, traffic signs displayed in high and medium luminance environments (i.e., extremely sunny and cloudy days, respectively) each featured their own advantage, whereas those displayed in low luminance environments (nights) have to be further improved.     

Cognitive control by brain-injured car drivers: an exploratory study

Cognitive control is a key tool for adaptation in dynamic situations. The aim of the study is to assess the relevance of a theoretical framework for cognitive control in dynamic situations, in order to understand brain-injured (BI) car drivers' cognitive impairment. The framework supports a cognitive control multimodality based on the crossing of two orthogonal dimensions: symbolic/subsymbolic; anticipative/reactive control. BI car drivers' behaviour was compared with that of a control group (CTRL) during driving simulator scenarios. Eye movement analysis, among other variables, revealed that BI car drivers made use of a more symbolic and reactive control than did CTRL drivers. CTRL drivers showed a more stable cognitive compromise than BI drivers. The latter became less symbolic and more reactive in the case of difficult scenarios. In addition, BI drivers focused on the main task of trajectory management, with fewer resources devoted to traffic interaction management.

Statement of Relevance:An explanation of differences between BI and CTRL drivers in terms of cognitive control requirements, attention and processing speed is put forward. From this, it is possible to derive some implications in terms of driver assistance (e.g. lane keeping or a warning assistance device) and rehabilitation.     

The effect of vehicle characteristics on drivers' risk-taking behaviour

There is evidence linking certain vehicle characteristics to crash involvement and one possible mechanism behind this relationship is that these vehicle characteristics influence drivers' risk-taking behaviour. In order to investigate this, we conducted a roadside observation survey and a questionnaire-based study. Both revealed a significant relationship between vehicle performance and drivers' risk-taking behaviour. The causal direction of this relationship has important consequences. If drivers' risk taking predicts their car choice, then it could be justifiably argued that individuals who take more risks when driving simply choose more powerful vehicles to facilitate their behaviour. However, if it is the case that vehicle characteristics adversely influence drivers' risk-taking propensity then this has implications for vehicle design. Results indicated that the causal pathway operates independently in both directions. Finally, we sought to determine which vehicle characteristics influenced risk-taking intentions independently of other confounded characteristics. We found that high vehicle performance and a greater number of safety features led independently to greater intended risk taking in general, while higher internal car noise led to closer car following and more risky gap acceptance, but not to greater speed. Vehicle smoothness and handling did not affect risk-taking intentions.     

出租车载客点个性化推荐算法

不同的出租车司机在寻找乘客选取载客点时会有不同倾向,利用三种推荐算法对上海出租车司机载客点选取行为进行分析,根据司机对载客点的喜好程度进行个性化推荐.首先,利用基于用户和基于项目的协同过滤的算法来对出租车司机的载客点进行推荐,利用正确率指标来验证算法,实验证实了这两种算法的可行性;之后,考虑到出租车的载客行为受到时间的影响,在上述两种算法基础上增加了时间因子;最后,利用隐含因子模型（LFM）,将出租车与载客点的共现矩阵进行分解,根据分解所得矩阵进行兴趣度的分析.实验结果证明,三种方法可有效形成推荐,且LFM算法推荐准确率较高.     

A dual-risk model of user adoption of mobile-based smoking cessation support services

This study proposes and validates a dual-risk model of the drivers and inhibitors of the adoption of a mobile e-health application for smoking cessation. This model extends existing approaches for risk taking by accounting for two opposite types of risk: the risk of using the mobile service and risks of not using it, both of which are argued to be instrumental to user decision to use healthcare support technologies. The proposed model was estimated with data collected from 422 smokers and mobile phone users in the UK and Canada. The findings suggest that adoption decisions regarding such a mobile service are driven by intrinsic and extrinsic motivations which channel the effects of the above-mentioned risk assessments on use intentions. This implies that to increase the success of mobile phone use in smoking cessation programmes, perceptions regarding both risks could be targeted.     

The impact of distraction mitigation strategies on driving performance

OBJECTIVES: An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of distraction mitigation strategies on drivers' performance and productivity while engaged in an in-vehicle information system task. BACKGROUND: Previous studies show that in-vehicle tasks undermine driver safety and there is a need to mitigate driver distraction. METHOD: An advising strategy that alerts drivers to potential dangers and a locking strategy that prevents the driver from continuing the distracting task were presented to 16 middle-aged and 12 older drivers in a driving simulator in two modes (auditory, visual) and two road conditions (curves, braking events). RESULTS: Distraction was a problem for both age groups. Visual distractions were more detrimental than auditory ones for curve negotiation, as depicted by more erratic steering, F (6, 155) = 26.76, p < .05. Drivers did brake more abruptly under auditory distractions, but this effect was mitigated by both the advising, t (155) = 8.37, p < .05, and locking strategies, t (155) = 8.49, p < .05. The locking strategy also resulted in longer minimum time to collision for middle-aged drivers engaged in visual distractions, F (6, 138) = 2.43, p < .05. CONCLUSIONS: Adaptive interfaces can reduce abrupt braking on curve entries resulting from auditory distractions and can also improve the braking response for distracted drivers. APPLICATION: These strategies can be incorporated into existing in-vehicle systems, thus mitigating the effects of distraction and improving driver performance.     

The influence of mobile phone location and screen orientation on driving safety and the usability of car-sharing software in-car use

One of the important parts of the Internet economy is the car-sharing economy. Nevertheless, a few numbers of studies have been dedicated to the issues of safety of driving and usability resulting from the car-sharing software application. The current study aims at analyzing the effect of phone location and screen orientation on usability and safety of driving in Chinese drivers who use car-sharing software (e.g., UBER) and comparing the differences in the safety of driving and usability among various car-sharing tasks. To this end, 24 experienced Chinese Uber drivers were employed using a driving simulator, and three tasks of car-sharing software were investigated. The variables of driving safety and usability were analyzed by Repeat Measurement ANOVA as well as Two-way ANOVA. It was found that when the phone is located on the left side of the steering wheel, usability and driving safety were better compared to locating it on the right side. The orientation of the mobile phone screen had a major impact on usability, while its impact on driving safety was trivial. The left-portrait mode showed the best performance. No significant impact on usability was found in terms of tasks (T1: ordering; T2: route checking; T3: destination search), while tasks showed a significant effect on driving safety. Among these tasks, the T3 task showed the highest impact on driving safety. The T2 task was in the second rank, followed by the T1 task (T1 < T2 < T3). The findings obtained from Chinese participants were different from the findings obtained in Japan and the United States.Relevance to industryThis finding can be used as a basis for the optimization design of ca-sharing software and as a foundation for improving the safety and usability of car-sharing software used by drivers in the car.     

Participatory design with train drivers — a process analysis

A participatory design process involving train drivers is analyzed and described in this paper. A group of six drivers were involved in the design process, and within a short period, four design iterations were completed. The present case study was the final part of a larger research project (TRAIN) investigating the train driving task including the drivers' information environment, number and nature of hours worked, work situation and work environment, and their effect on the drivers' behaviour and the train driver system safety.Although usability activities are widely used in IT development today, the users are not involved to the desired extent. This paper argues that to produce usable systems, quality time has to be spent initially to acquire knowledge of a work domain and establishing a common ground in terms of shared knowledge and a better understanding of the work context between the parties involved in system development. Our suggestions on participatory analysis and design that conclude the paper are based on the present case study including train drivers, as well as our experiences from previous case studies.     

Human Factors Assessment of Vehicle Power Steering

Abstract

The handling and steering of an in-service wheeled vehicle were investigated, following a number of adverse reports. This paper presents the subjective assessments of the vehicle's power steering, which were included in that investigation.

The effects of three different power steering settings were appraised by driving the vehicles on a road-test track and cross-country. In addition, two questionnaires enabled the drivers' overall views and comments on specific factors to be recorded. Analysis of variance showed that the subjectively assessed differences between the three vehicle power steering settings were statistically significant at the 2 per cent level. The six civilian and six military drivers' views were congruent and course differences (road or cross-country) did not consistently and significantly affect the overall assessment. The drivers' stated preferences among the vehicles supported the analysis of variance results.

Incidents observed during the trials showed that drivers could lose control of the vehicle because of excessive speed and/or faulty driving technique, independently of power steering characteristics. This suggests that many incidents could be prevented by giving specific instructional guidelines to drivers during training and by the incorporation of a speed limiting device in any modifications to the vehicle tested.