Field experiment for exploring the effects of in-vehicle warning information on driver's responsive behavior

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of advance warning in-vehicle systems. Under real-time driving settings, the abilities to respond appropriately to unsafe conditions were reviewed for a homogeneous group of drivers. Using differential global positioning system equipped probe vehicles, individual vehicle speeds as well as its speed change rates were collected based on the corresponding vehicle trajectory. The driver's response was evaluated under two different types of warning systems, emergency warning and general warning, by combining various modalities. Study results showed that for emergency alerts, the most effective warning information was transmitted by integrating 'voice, graphic, and text' or 'repeated computer tone and text'. In the case of a general warning alert, the 'repeated computer tone, voice, graphic, and text' combination indicated to be the most effective. The results of this research look to provide insights in developing and designing an effective in-vehicle warning system.