Effect of Visual and Auditory Warnings on Latent Hazard Anticipation While Engaged in a Mock Cellphone Task

This study seeks to determine whether non-specific auditory or visual warnings to pay attention to the road will reduce the distracting effects of engaging in cognitive secondary tasks such as cell phone conversations on latent hazard anticipation performance. The warnings were issued soon before the location at which the latent hazard could materialize. Some studies suggest that engaging in cognitive secondary tasks while driving reduces the ability of drivers to anticipate latent hazards. No study however has investigated the effect of warnings on increasing the likelihood and speed of detecting latent hazards when engaged in secondary tasks while driving. Sixteen drivers took part in the experiment. Each participant navigated four sections of roadway (drives) on a driving simulator. Across the drives, participants had to detect latent hazards. For all participants, one drive had no secondary task (ND), and three drives each had a secondary task and either no warning (NW), an auditory warning (AW) or a visual warning (VW). Glances made towards areas where latent hazards could emerge were noted as was the time it took to glance towards the latent hazard after the warning was issued. Of note, the time on average that it took participants to glance towards the latent hazard in the AW condition was indistinguishable from the time on average it took participants to glance towards the latent hazard in the ND condition. Moreover, the proportion of especially long glances to acquire the latent hazard was much higher in the ND condition than the AW condition. This holds out great promise for a non-specific auditory warning (i.e., a warning that simply indicates that attention is required to the roadway, not where the attention is required). In the near future where vehicles are connected with each other and the surrounding environment, it should be possible to issue alerts when drivers are cognitively distracted. This study suggests that AW alerts would increase safety.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AND20 Standing Committee on User Information Systems. Alternative title: Effect of Visual and Auditory Warnings on Latent Hazard Anticipation During a Mock Cellphone Task
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Anzagira, Allan
  • Ramyar, Saina
  • Yan, Xuyang
  • Agana, Norbert
  • Homaifar, Abdollah
  • Fisher, Donald L
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2016-1-10 to 2016-1-14
• Date: 2016

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 17p
• Monograph Title: TRB 95th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attention lapses; Audible warning devices in vehicles; Behavior; Cognition; Distraction; Drivers; Hazards
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01590694
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 16-4733
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 19 2016 5:09PM