Applying visual attention theory to transportation safety research and design: Evaluation of alternative automobile rear lighting systems

This field experiment takes a novel approach in applying methodologies and theories of visual search to the subject of conspicuity in automobile rear lighting. Traditional rear lighting research has not used the visual search paradigm in experimental design. It is our claim that the visual search design uniquely uncovers visual attention processes operating when drivers search the visual field that current designs fail to capture. This experiment is a validation and extension of previous simulator research on this same topic and demonstrates that detection of red automobile brake lamps will be improved if tail lamps are another color (in this test, amber) rather than the currently mandated red. Results indicate that when drivers miss brake lamp onset in low ambient light, RT and error are reduced in detecting the presence and absence of red brake lamps with multiple lead vehicles when tail lamps are not red compared to current rear lighting which mandates red tail lamps. This performance improvement is attributed to efficient visual processing that automatically segregates tail (amber) and brake (red) lamp colors into distractors and targets respectively.     

Capturing attention to brake lamps

Rear-end collisions and distraction are major concerns and basic research in cognitive psychology concerning attention in visual search is applicable to these problems. It is proposed that using yellow tail lamps will result in faster reaction times and fewer errors than current tail lamp coloring (red) in detecting brake lamps (red) in a "worst case" scenario where brake lamp onset, lamp intensity and temporal and contextual cues are not available. Participants engaged in a visual search for brake lamps in two conditions, one using red tail lamps with red brake lamps and one with the proposed combination of yellow tail lamps with red brake lamps in which they indicated by keyboard response the presence or absence of braking cars. The hypothesis that separating brake and tail lamps by color alone would produce faster RTs, reduce errors, and provide greater conspicuity was supported. Drivers and non-drivers detect absence and presence of red brake lamps faster and with greater accuracy with the proposed yellow tail lamps than red tail lamps without the aid of any of the aforementioned cues. Vehicle conspicuity will be improved and reductions in rear-end collisions and other accidents will be reduced by implementing the proposed yellow tail lamp coloring.     

Does attention capacity moderate the effect of driver distraction in older drivers?

With age, a decline in attention capacity may occur and this may impact driving performance especially while distracted. Although the effect of distraction on driving performance of older drivers has been investigated, the moderating effect of attention capacity on driving performance during distraction has not been investigated yet. Therefore, the aim was to investigate whether attention capacity has a moderating effect on older drivers’ driving performance during visual distraction (experiment 1) and cognitive distraction (experiment 2). In a fixed-based driving simulator, older drivers completed a driving task without and with visual distraction (experiment 1, N = 17, mean age 78 years) or cognitive distraction (experiment 2, N = 35, mean age 76 years). Several specific driving measures of varying complexity (i.e., speed, lane keeping, following distance, braking behavior, and crashes) were investigated. In addition to these objective driving measures, subjective measures of workload and driving performance were also included. In experiment 1, crash occurrence increased with visual distraction and was negatively related to attention capacity. In experiment 2, complete stops at stop signs decreased, initiation of braking at pedestrian crossings was later, and crash occurrence increased with cognitive distraction. Interestingly, for a measure of lane keeping (i.e., standard deviation of lateral lane position (SDLP)), effects of both types of distraction were moderated by attention capacity. Despite the decrease of driving performance with distraction, participants estimated their driving performance during distraction as good. These results imply that attention capacity is important for driving. Driver assessment and training programs might therefore focus on attention capacity. Nonetheless, it is crucial to eliminate driver distraction as much as possible given the deterioration of performance on several driving measures in those with low and high attention capacity.     

Effects of work zone configurations and traffic density on performance variables and subjective workload

This paper investigates the effect of changing work zone configurations and traffic density on performance variables and subjective workload. Data regarding travel time, average speed, maximum percent braking force and location of lane changes were collected by using a full size driving simulator. The NASA-TLX was used to measure self-reported workload ratings during the driving task. Conventional lane merge (CLM) and joint lane merge (JLM) were modeled in a driving simulator, and thirty participants (seven female and 23 male), navigated through the two configurations with two levels of traffic density. The mean maximum braking forces was 34% lower in the JLM configuration, and drivers going through the JLM configuration remained in the closed lane longer. However, no significant differences in speed were found between the two merge configurations. The analysis of self-reported workload ratings show that participants reported 15.3% lower total workload when driving through the JLM. In conclusion, the implemented changes in the JLM make it a more favorable merge configuration in both high and low traffic densities in terms of optimizing traffic flow by increasing the time and distance cars use both lanes, and in terms of improving safety due to lower braking forces and lower reported workload.     

In the eye of the beholder: A simulator study of the impact of Google Glass on driving performance

This study examined whether, and to what extent, driving is affected by reading text on Google Glass. Reading text requires a high level of visual resources and can interfere with safe driving. However, it is currently unclear if the impact of reading text on a head-mounted display, such as Google Glass (Glass), will differ from that found with more traditional head-down electronic devices, such as a dash-mounted smartphone. A total of 20 drivers (22–48 years) completed the Lane Change Test while driving undistracted and while reading text on Glass and on a smartphone. Measures of lateral vehicle control and event detection were examined along with subjective workload and secondary task performance. Results revealed that drivers’ lane keeping ability was significantly impaired by reading text on both Glass and the smartphone. When using Glass, drivers also failed to detect a greater number of lane change signs compared to when using the phone or driving undistracted. In terms of subjective workload, drivers rated reading on Glass as subjectively easier than on the smartphone, which may possibly encourage greater use of this device while driving. Overall, the results suggest that, despite Glass allowing drivers to better maintain their visual attention on the forward scene, drivers are still not able to effectively divide their cognitive attention across the Glass display and the road environment, resulting in impaired driving performance.     

Impact of age and cognitive demand on lane choice and changing under actual highway conditions

Previous research suggests that drivers change lanes less frequently during periods of heightened cognitive load. However, lane changing behavior of different age groups under varying levels of cognitive demand is not well understood. The majority of studies which have evaluated lane changing behavior under cognitive workload have been conducted in driving simulators. Consequently, it is unclear if the patterns observed in these simulation studies carry over to actual driving. This paper evaluates data from an on-road study to determine the effects of age and cognitive demand on lane choice and lane changing behavior. Three age groups (20–29, 40–49, and 60–69) were monitored in an instrumented vehicle. The 40's age group had 147% higher odds of exhibiting a lane change than the 60's group. In addition, drivers in their 60's were less likely to drive on the leftmost lane compared to drivers in their 20's and 40's. These results could be interpreted as evidence that older adults adopt a more conservative driving style as reflected in being less likely to choose the leftmost lane than the younger groups and less likely to change lanes than drivers in their 40's. Regardless of demand level, cognitive workload reduced the frequency of lane changes for all age groups. This suggests that in general drivers of all ages attempt to regulate their behavior in a risk reducing direction when under added cognitive demand. The extent to which such self-regulation fully compensates for the impact of added cognitive demand remains an open question.     

Braking hazards of golf cars and low speed vehicles

Research and analysis of braking issues for golf cars and other low speed vehicles (LSVs) are reported in this study. It is shown that many such vehicles only provide braking for their rear wheels, which can lead to a driver losing control during travel on typical steep downgrades. The braking performance of a golf car equipped with brakes on two or four wheels was analyzed to determine the effects of two and four wheel brake designs on braking efficiency and vehicle yaw stability. Besides reducing braking efficiency, it is demonstrated that installing brakes on only the rear wheels can lead to directional instability (fishtailing) and rollover when the rear wheels are braked until skidding occurs. The nonexistence of golf course standards and the inadequacy of golf car and LSV standards are noted and a connection between this and the comparatively high level of accidents with such vehicles is inferred. Based on these results, it is advisable to install brakes on all four wheels of golf cars and LSVs. In addition, new safety standards should be considered to reduce the occurrence of golf car accidents on steep downhill slopes.     

A parametric study of golf car and personal transport vehicle braking stability and their deficiencies

This paper describes research and parametric analyses of braking effectiveness and directional stability for golf cars, personal transport vehicles (PTVs) and low speed vehicles (LSVs). It is shown that current designs, which employ brakes on only the rear wheels, can lead to rollovers if the brakes are applied while traveling downhill. After summarizing the current state of existing safety standards and brake system designs, both of which appear deficient from a safety perspective, a previously developed dynamic simulation model is used to identify which parameters have the greatest influence on the vehicles’ yaw stability. The simulation results are then used to parametrically quantify which combination of these factors can lead to yaw induced rollover during hard braking. Vehicle velocity, steering input, path slope and tire friction are all identified as important parameters in determining braking stability, the effects of which on rollover propensity are presented graphically. The results further show that when vehicles are equipped with front brakes or four-wheel brakes, the probability of a yaw induced rollover is almost entirely eliminated. Furthermore, the parametric charts provided may be used as an aid in developing guidelines for golf car and PTV path design if rear brake vehicles are used.     

Effect of shoulder width, guardrail and roadway geometry on driver perception and behavior

Roadway design is one of the most significant factors that affect driving behavior and perceived safety. The current study tests the combined effects of three roadway design elements – shoulders width, guardrail existence and roadway geometry (curvature) – on objective driving measures (speed and lane position), and subjective measures (perceived safe driving speed and estimated road safety).Twenty two drivers participated in an experiment with a driving simulation. In the first part objective driving data were collected, and in the second part subjective paper–pencil evaluations were requested of the perceived safety of 30 different scenarios that were previously experienced in the simulator. The scenarios consisted of the various combinations of the three roadway design elements.The results showed a significant effect of roadway geometry on both objective and subjective measures. The shoulders width had a significant effect on actual speed, on lane position, and on perceived safe driving speed, but only when a guardrail was present.These findings illustrate the perceptual role of a guardrail in defining the perceived safety margins that various shoulder widths provide. When a guardrail is absent, the width of the shoulder loses much of its benefits and effects on driving behavior. The results also demonstrate that roadway geometry can be used to reduce driving speeds, but at the same time it can have a negative effect on maintaining a stable lane position in sharp curves. Thus, controlling the width of road shoulders and the placement of guardrails seems to be a safer approach to speed and lane position control.     

Effect of shoulder width,guardrail and roadway geometry on driver perception and behavior

Roadway design is one of the most significant factors that affect driving behavior and perceived safety. The current study tests the combined effects of three roadway design elements – shoulders width, guardrail existence and roadway geometry (curvature) – on objective driving measures (speed and lane position), and subjective measures (perceived safe driving speed and estimated road safety).Twenty two drivers participated in an experiment with a driving simulation. In the first part objective driving data were collected, and in the second part subjective paper–pencil evaluations were requested of the perceived safety of 30 different scenarios that were previously experienced in the simulator. The scenarios consisted of the various combinations of the three roadway design elements.The results showed a significant effect of roadway geometry on both objective and subjective measures. The shoulders width had a significant effect on actual speed, on lane position, and on perceived safe driving speed, but only when a guardrail was present.These findings illustrate the perceptual role of a guardrail in defining the perceived safety margins that various shoulder widths provide. When a guardrail is absent, the width of the shoulder loses much of its benefits and effects on driving behavior. The results also demonstrate that roadway geometry can be used to reduce driving speeds, but at the same time it can have a negative effect on maintaining a stable lane position in sharp curves. Thus, controlling the width of road shoulders and the placement of guardrails seems to be a safer approach to speed and lane position control.     

A simulator study of the effects of singing on driving performance

This study aimed to investigate how singing while driving affects driver performance. Twenty-one participants completed three trials of a simulated drive concurrently while performing a peripheral detection task (PDT); each trial was conducted either without music, with participants listening to music, or with participants singing along to music. It was hypothesised that driving performance and PDT response times would be impaired, and that driver subjective workload ratings would be higher, when participants were singing to music compared to when there was no music or when participants were listening to music. As expected, singing while driving was rated as more mentally demanding, and resulted in slower and more variable speeds, than driving without music. Listening to music was associated with the slowest speeds overall, and fewer lane excursions than the no music condition. Interestingly, both music conditions were associated with slower speed-adjusted PDT response times and significantly less deviation within the lane than was driving without music. Collectively, results suggest that singing while driving alters driving performance and impairs hazard perception while at the same time increasing subjective mental workload. However, singing while driving does not appear to affect driving performance more than simply listening to music. Further, drivers’ efforts to compensate for the increased mental workload associated with singing and listening to music by slowing down appear to be insufficient, as evidenced by relative increases in PDT response times in these two conditions compared to baseline.     

基于脑力负荷的通航飞机座舱显示界面测评研究

在飞行过程中,飞行员需从座舱显示界面获取和处理很多视觉信息，大量的视觉信息会使飞行员脑力负荷过高，从而易导致飞行事故。为降低飞行员在飞行过程中的脑力负荷和提高飞行的安全性，需判断通航飞机座舱显示界面对飞行员脑力负荷的影响，并为通航飞机座舱显示界面优化设计提供依据。以塞斯纳172SP飞机为例，综合应用主观评价法、绩效评估法和生理测量法，对五边飞行过程中飞行员的脑力负荷进行评估。综合主观评分、飞行绩效、脑电（Electroencephalogram, EEG）指标、眼动指标的分析结果，得出了五边飞行不同飞行阶段的脑力负荷大小排序。采用眼动追踪技术对不同飞行阶段飞行员所关注的界面信息进行定位，确定飞机座舱显示界面上对脑力负荷影响较大的注视热区。结果显示飞行员在平飞阶段的脑力负荷较低，降落阶段的脑力负荷较高；显示界面侧滑指示器对脑力负荷的影响最大。综上可知结合脑力负荷测量和眼动指标可以有效地评价通航飞机座舱显示界面的性能。     

Changes in stress and subjective workload over time following a workload transition

Workload transitions present individuals with sudden changes in workload. These transitions may affect stress and coping behaviour. Two experiments were performed using a digit detection task that shifted between low and high workload levels to examine transition effects on performance, stress, and effort. The first experiment used a large magnitude transition and resulted in decreased estimates of task engagement and effort. Over time, the levels of subjective stress observed in the transitioned groups approached those of the non-transitioned control groups. The second experiment used a transition more moderate in magnitude. The results were similar to those from the first experiment except that the transition resulted in higher, sustained task engagement and effort. These findings indicate that over time, the perceived stress of transitioned individuals will approach those of non-transitioned individuals; however, the magnitude of the transition may influence individuals to either increase or decrease task-oriented, effortful coping.

Relevance to human factors/ergonomics theory

Previous research on the effect of workload transitions on experienced stress has produced conflicting results. Drawing upon transactional stress theory and motivational intensity theory, two experiments were conducted which resolve some of those conflicting findings. This research adds to our understanding of how workload transitions may affect individuals' experienced stress.     

A matched-cohort analysis of belted front and rear seat occupants in newer and older model vehicles shows that gains in front occupant safety have outpaced gains for rear seat occupants

Previous studies have suggested that rear seat occupants are at lower risk of serious injury and death in crashes. However, over the last 10–15 years there have been significant changes in front seat safety systems. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is still a benefit for rear seated occupants compared to front seat occupants. A matched-cohort approach, using data on restrained occupants from the US National Automotive Sampling System (data years 1993–2007), was adopted. Conditional poisson regression modeling was used to evaluate the relative risk of AIS3+ injury in front (passenger and driver) and rear seat occupants, in vehicles of model year 1990–1996 compared to newer vehicles. Occupant age, belt type, and intrusion were additional variables in the model. The relative risk of AIS3+ injury for front and rear occupants was influenced by age and model year. For those aged 16–50 years in older vehicles, the front and rear seat offered similar levels of protection (RR = 1.14, CI = 1.09–1.19), however in newer model vehicles (1997–2007), the rear seat carried a higher risk of injury (RR = 1.98, CI = 1.90–2.06). For adults over 50 years, the rear seat carried a higher risk in both older and newer vehicles, and for 9–15 year olds, the rear seat carried a lower risk. These findings suggest that safety for front seat occupants has improved over the last decade, to the point where, for occupants over 15 years of age, the front seat is safer than the rear seat. While the benefit of rear seating for children aged 9–15 years has decreased over time, they are still at lower risk in the rear seat.     

湿喷机液压制动系统制动阀性能研究

为了研究串联式双回路液压制动阀对湿喷机制动性能的影响,根据制动阀结构及工作原理,考虑稳态液动力等非线性因素,采用键合图理论建立了液压制动系统的动力学模型,基于MATLAB平台仿真分析了制动阀的静、动态特性,并在湿喷机上搭建实验平台进行其制动性能测试。结果表明：制动阀输出压力具有比例特性,后桥制动响应快于前桥,且后桥制动压力约大于前桥制动压力0.2 MPa;制动阀双段制动压力梯度的设计可以满足湿喷机在高低速行驶时动能差别较大的制动需求;制动阀阶跃响应迅速,系统能在0.3 s内趋于稳定,且无明显压力超调,制动性能稳定;在制动阀复位阶段,制动油缸将工作腔油液迅速排入油箱,解除制动。制动压力的测试值与仿真值基本吻合,验证了所建模型的准确性。研究结果可以为制动系统的参数匹配和制动阀结构优化提供参考。     

Concurrent processing of vehicle lane keeping and speech comprehension tasks

With the growing prevalence of using in-vehicle devices and mobile devices while driving, a major concern is their impact on driving performance and safety. However, the effects of cognitive load such as conversation on driving performance are still controversial and not well understood. In this study, an experiment was conducted to investigate the concurrent performance of vehicle lane keeping and speech comprehension tasks with improved experimental control of the confounding factors identified in previous studies. The results showed that the standard deviation of lane position (SDLP) was increased when the driving speed was faster (0.30 m at 36 km/h; 0.36 m at 72 km/h). The concurrent comprehension task had no significant effect on SDLP (0.34 m on average) or the standard deviation of steering wheel angle (SDSWA; 5.20° on average). The correct rate of the comprehension task was reduced in the dual-task condition (from 93.4% to 91.3%) compared with the comprehension single-task condition. Mental workload was significantly higher in the dual-task condition compared with the single-task conditions. Implications for driving safety were discussed.     

Driver distraction: the effects of concurrent in-vehicle tasks, road environment complexity and age on driving performance

This paper presents the findings of a simulator study that examined the effects of distraction upon driving performance for drivers in three age groups. There were two in-vehicle distracter tasks: operating the vehicle entertainment system and conducting a simulated hands-free mobile phone conversation. The effect of visual clutter was examined by requiring participants to drive in simple and complex road environments. Overall measures of driving performance were collected, together with responses to roadway hazards and subjective measures of driver perceived workload. The two in-vehicle distraction tasks degraded overall driving performance, degraded responses to hazards and increased subjective workload. The performance decrements that occurred as a result of in-vehicle distraction were observed in both the simple and complex highway environments and for drivers in different age groups. One key difference was that older drivers traveled at lower mean speeds in the complex highway environment compared with younger drivers. The conclusions of the research are that both in-vehicle tasks impaired several aspects of driving performance, with the entertainment system distracter having the greatest negative impact on performance, and that these findings were relatively stable across different driver age groups and different environmental complexities.     

基于汽车人机界面评测的中控触屏按键研究

目的 研究汽车中控触屏按键的尺寸及驾驶员交互特性,为设计提出指南及建议.方法 采用文献调研法建立汽车人机界面评测指标,基于驾驶仿真系统,通过实验收集安全性与用户体验维度的主客观数据,对不同尺寸的按键进行测试评估,探索驾驶员的交互操作特性.结果 按键尺寸大小与点击按键位置、视觉主观评分、工作负荷、可用性存在相关性;按键点击位置与按键中心的距离随按键尺寸增大而增大;点击按键位置倾向于左侧;主观评分、可用性与按键尺寸在一定范围内呈正相关,工作负荷表现则相反.结论 建议中控触屏按键尺寸为9～15 mm,经过公式换算可适应不同尺寸的车载屏幕.车载界面设计布局常用控件应多在左侧或扩大控件的操作热区.将汽车人机界面评测应用于车载中控触屏按键研究中可以为界面设计规范提供新的思路.     

Drivers’ eye movements as a function of collision avoidance warning conditions in red light running scenarios

The intersection collision avoidance warning systems (ICAWSs) have substantial potentials in improving driving performance and reducing the number and severity of intersection collisions, through helping drivers timely detect hazardous conflicting vehicles in precrash scenarios. However, the influences of ICAWS on drivers’ visual performance have barely been discussed. This study focuses on exploring the patterns in drivers’ eye movements as a function of ICAWS’s warning conditions in red light running scenarios based on a driving simulation experiment. Two types of speech warning conditions including warning timings (varied form 2.5 s to 5.5 s) and directional information (with or without) are examined, and the no-warning condition is the baseline. The results revealed that more subjects would be likely to benefit from the ICWAS under the earlier warning timings. The warning condition of 4.5 s ahead of a collision had the best effectiveness in terms of visual performances. Under such a warning timing, drivers had shorter fixation duration and higher frequency of searching for the red light running (RLR) vehicles. Compared to the warning condition without directional information, the directional warning information could capture drivers’ attention more efficiently, help driver direct fixations toward the RLR vehicles more quickly and lead to more scanning activities. Compared to female drivers, male drivers had more scanning activities when approaching intersections, detected the RLR vehicles more quickly and were more likely to avoid the RLR collisions. Besides, the experiment results indicated that the female drivers were more inclined to trust the warning information and got more benefits from the RLR-ICAWS in terms of the crash risk reduction rate than male drivers. Finally, the conclusions lead the way toward warning condition design recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the RLR-ICAWSs.     

Investigating the influence of working memory capacity when driving behavior is combined with cognitive load: An LCT study of young novice drivers

Distracted driving has received increasing attention in the literature due to potential adverse safety outcomes. An often posed solution to alleviate distraction while driving is hands-free technology. Interference by distraction can occur however at the sensory input (e.g., visual) level, but also at the cognitive level where hands-free technology induces working memory (WM) load. Active maintenance of goal-directed behavior in the presence of distraction depends on WM capacity (i.e., Lavie's Load theory) which implies that people with higher WM capacity are less susceptible to distractor interference. This study investigated the interaction between verbal WM load and WM capacity on driving performance to determine whether individuals with higher WM capacity were less affected by verbal WM load, leading to a smaller deterioration of driving performance. Driving performance of 46 young novice drivers (17–25 years-old) was measured with the lane change task (LCT). Participants drove without and with verbal WM load of increasing complexity (auditory-verbal response N-back task). Both visuospatial and verbal WM capacity were investigated. Dependent measures were mean deviation in the lane change path (MDEV), lane change initiation (LCI) and percentage of correct lane changes (PCL). Driving experience was included as a covariate. Performance on each dependent measure deteriorated with increasing verbal WM load. Meanwhile, higher WM capacity related to better LCT performance. Finally, for LCI and PCL, participants with higher verbal WM capacity were influenced less by verbal WM load. These findings entail that completely eliminating distraction is necessary to minimize crash risks among young novice drivers.