Simulator Study of Effects of Alternative Distraction Mitigation Strategies in Driver Workload Manager

This simulator study examined a workload manager developed by Delphi Electronics for the SAVE-IT program and the effects of several different workload mitigation strategies on driver response to a surprise forward collision hazard. The strategies included no in-vehicle task or distraction (baseline); task allowed; task interrupted; and task denied. Forty-eight test participants (24 males and 24 females) between 35 and 55 years of age were randomly assigned in groups of 12 (balanced for gender) to each of the four conditions. Each participant then drove in the Ford VIRTTEX moving-base driving simulator on simulated urban and rural roads and was asked to perform various in-vehicle tasks. During a requested in-vehicle information system task, a vehicle parked on the side of the road would suddenly enter the travel lane, and the driver’s response was assessed. Braking response to this critical event indicated no significant differences in mean brake response time as a function of type of mitigation strategy or gender. However, variability in driver responses was significantly less in the task denied condition as compared with the other conditions, possibly because drivers were sensitized to an increased driving demand. Three of 12 test participants in the task interrupted condition showed relatively large brake reaction times attributable to long delays between initial foot motion and braking onset. This delay may indicate an additional delay associated with processing the task interruption and the forward collision warning event itself. Recommendations are provided for further research and for mitigation and driver alerting on the basis of a workload manager’s assessment of the driving situation.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/2248-11
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Simulator+Study+of+Effects+of+Alternative+Distraction+Mitigation+Strategies+in+Driver+Workload+Manager&author=L.+Tijerina&author=M.+Blommer&author=R.+Curry&author=J.+Greenberg&author=D.+Kochhar&author=C.+Simonds&author=D.+Watson&publication_year=2011
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780309167680
• Authors:
  • Tijerina, Louis
  • Blommer, Mike
  • Curry, Reates
  • Greenberg, Jeff
  • Kochhar, Dev
  • Simonds, Craig
  • Watson, David
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 81-86
• Monograph Title: Human Performance, Simulation, and User Information
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2248
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Advanced driver information systems; Braking; Distraction; Driver vehicle interfaces; Drivers; Driving simulators; Gender; Hazards; Highway safety; Reaction time; Technological innovations; Traffic incidents; Workload
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01334321
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309167680
• Report/Paper Numbers: 11-1947
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 28 2011 11:37AM