United States Department of Transportation
i
A Novel Driver Warning System with Hedging to Promote Defensive Driving
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2024-09-01
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[PDF-1.77 MB]
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Edition:Final, September 2023 - September 2024
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Abstract:One of the major contributing factors to truck-related crashes is the presence of natural blind spots, also known as the "No Zone." While current Blind Spot Warning (BSW) systems can improve truck safety, the number of truck-related crashes continues to rise despite the growing deployment of BSW technology. Merely alerting truck drivers is insufficient to mitigate the safety risks posed by these blind spots. It is essential to enhance BSW technology to not only alert truck drivers but also encourage defensive driving among surrounding non-truck drivers. The objective of this study is to improve existing BSW technology for trucks by integrating the novel concept of "hedging." This approach involves issuing in-vehicle BSWs to both truck drivers and drivers of nearby non-trucks when they enter truck blind spots. The study aimed to provide a deeper understanding of how the Blind Spot Warning with Hedging (BSW-H) system influences driver decision-making in blind spot situations. A total of 43 participants took part in the study. Each participant drove three scenarios in a simulated network designed to mimic real-world conditions. These scenarios included a base scenario with no warning (S0), a scenario with both visual and auditory warnings (S1), and a scenario with visual-only warnings (S2). The two key performance measures evaluated in this study were the time spent in the truck's blind spot and the speed difference before and after receiving the warning. Statistical tests were performed to analyze driving behavior across the three scenarios to assess significant differences between them. The results of the analysis showed that there was a significant difference in time spent in the blind spot between Scenario S0 (no warning) and Scenario S1 (visual and auditory warnings), indicating that drivers altered their behavior when exposed to combined warnings. In the speed difference analysis, participants significantly adjusted their speed after receiving warnings in both S1 and S2. This suggests that the presence of the BSW-H system effectively influenced driving behavior.
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