Crash Warning Interface Metrics Task 3 Report: Empirical Studies of Effects of DVI Variability

This report documents the methods and findings of Task 3 under the project “Crash Warning Interface Metrics (CWIM).” The CWIM project has the objective of examining the potential advantages and concerns of Advanced Crash Warning Systems (ACWS), with a particular focus on the driver-vehicle interface (DVI). Task 3 involved new empirical research to address issues of DVI variability for ACWS systems across vehicles. Two experiments were performed. Experiment 1 addressed whether driver response to a forward collision warning (FCW) acoustic alert suffered when the participant switched from a vehicle with one acoustic alert to a different vehicle with a different acoustic alert. After the alert was switched, participants displayed substantially delayed brake reaction times, particularly in one direction of shift. This comparison provides some evidence of a potential negative transfer effect. Experiment 2 investigated whether people who are unfamiliar with ACWS features were able to identify and comprehend status displays for a variety of existing ACWS. Overall, individuals were not particularly accurate in assessing whether an advanced crash warning system was present (more than 40% of these responses were incorrect), but participants were nonetheless confident in their responses. A degree of familiarity with an ACWS (from reading owner’s manual materials) improved comprehension slightly, but there was no finding of a systematic trend toward either positive or negative transfer. The final section of the report discusses methodological assessments and implications for each experiment.

• Record URL:
  http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash%20Avoidance/Technical%20Publications/2011/811470b.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Westat

  1650 Research Boulevard
  Rockville, MD  United States  20850

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Robinson, Emanuel
  • Lerner, Neil
  • Jenness, James
  • Singer, Jeremiah
  • Huey, Richard
  • Baldwin, Carryl
  • Kidd, David
  • Roberts, Daniel
  • Monk, Chris
• Publication Date: 2011-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 72p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Audible warning devices in vehicles; Countermeasures; Crash avoidance systems; Driver vehicle interfaces; Highway safety; Information display systems; Warning systems
• Uncontrolled Terms: Forward collision warning
• 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: 01357943
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-811 470b
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 1 2011 9:56AM