Conference Proceeding

Effect of a Side Collision-Avoidance Signal on Simulated Driving with a Navigation System

---

Abstract

Effects of a side collision-avoidance system (SCAS) signal on driving behavior were examined in an environment in which a nagivation signal was also used. Sixteen undergraduate students participated in this study, and a computerbased STISIM driving simulator was used in the project. Subjects were asked to respond to two signals, a visually displayed directional signal generated by a simulated navigation system (NAS) and a monaural auditory tone from a simulated SCAS presented after a NAS signal. Subjects were instructed that the SCAS signal conveyed directional information about an impending threat (the location of the danger from which they were to turn, or the escape direction toward which they were to turn). Contrary to previous findings in a non-driving environment (Wang et al., 2003), response time (RT) was significantly shorter for the group in which the location of the SCAS signal was spatially compatible with the location of the danger than for the group in which the SCAS signal location was incompatible with the location of the danger. Mean RT was not significantly shorter when the direction of the NAS signal and the location of the SCAS signal corresponded than when they did not. Given that subjects tended to withhold responding until they perceived the encroaching car, the benefit of a SCAS may be to direct a driver’s attention in the direction of an impending threat before the driver would ordinarily detect it.

How to Cite:

Wang, D. & Pick, R. & Proctor, R. & Ye, Y., (2007) “Effect of a Side Collision-Avoidance Signal on Simulated Driving with a Navigation System”, Driving Assessment Conference 4(2007), 206-211. doi: https://doi.org/10.17077/drivingassessment.1238

Rights: Copyright © 2007 the author(s)