Brian H Philips

The Evolving Role of Automation in Transportation Human Factors Lessons Learned from the Different Modes

Automation is not only in our future, it is already here. This has long been the case for aviation (FAA). But it is increasingly the case for our highly connected systems of vehicles (NHTSA), highways (FHWA), and railroads (FRA). Clearly we must educate the operators about the capabilities and limitations of these new automated systems (NTSB). The purpose of this panel is to share, at this critical point in the development of automation, the knowledge that has been gained across the different modes of transportation about how best to develop systems that may help reduce the approximately 94% of crashes attributed to human error. The five presenters (Allahyar, Becic, Chappell, Monk, and Philips) come from the different modes and have been centrally involved in the efforts to understand the role of the human operator in automated systems. Active engagement with the audience is expected.

Driver Responses to Simultaneous V2V and V2I Safety Critical Information in Left-turn Across Path Scenarios:

This paper describes two, part-task driving simulator studies that investigated how drivers handle safety information from multiple sources simultaneously, including in-vehicle and external sources. Specifically, the studies examined concurrent Driver-Infrastructure Interface (DII) and Driver-Vehicle Interface (DVI) displays for a gap-assist system while making a Left-Turn Across Path (LTAP) movement at a signalized intersection. Participants encountered repeated LTAP scenarios and indicated whether or not they would make a left turn through gaps in traffic that varied in size. Younger, middle, and older aged drivers participated in all experiments. The key factors examined included: gap size, age, display type (availability of DII and DVI information), and the visibility of oncoming traffic. The results indicated that participants primarily used the displays when their view of oncoming traffic was blocked, and they generally preferred the DII over the DVI. The key findings are discussed in terms of the effects of multiple sources of information, the effects of age, and visibility.

Driver Responses to Incongruent V2V and V2I Safety Critical Information in Left-Turn Across Path Scenarios

The present work aims to help guide the development of safer systems and interfaces by investigating how drivers handle safety messages from in-vehicle and in-roadway infrastructure sources with incongruent onset timing. Two part-task driving simulator experiments were used to examine concurrent Driver-Infrastructure Interface (DII) and Driver-Vehicle Interface (DVI) displays for a gap-assist system while making a Left-Turn Across Path (LTAP) movement at a signalized intersection. Participants encountered repeated LTAP scenarios and indicated whether they would make a left turn through varying gaps in traffic. The key factors examined were: gap size, age, display type, and the visibility of oncoming traffic. Drivers primarily used the displays when they had an obstructed view of oncoming traffic. They preferred the DII, but some participants would rely on the DVI if the DII had conservative timing. Participants showed inconsistent performance when the DII and DVI displayed conflicting information.

Driver Performance in a Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control String

Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) has been proposed as a method to increase highway capacity and possibly enhance safety. Two experiments were conducted in a driving simulator to verify that drivers with CACC would effectively monitor the system’s longitudinal control and override the system in the event that greater braking authority was needed than the system was designed to provide. In the first experiment, the emergency response of drivers with the CACC was compared with that of drivers who manually controlled following distance within a string of vehicles. The CACC group experienced markedly fewer crashes and had longer mean time-to-collision. The second experiment examined whether the CACC safety benefit was the result of the CACC system’s limited automatic braking authority, an auditory alarm, or both. The results suggest that both auto-braking and an auditory alarm are necessary to achieve a crash reduction benefit, although the alarm alone may promote less severe collisions.

Human Factors Design Guidelines for V2I Driver-Infrastructure-Interface Displays

This paper describes an FHWA report developed as part of the Human Factors for Connected Vehicles (HFCV) program, whose goal is to minimize driver workload by eliminating connected vehicle (CV) device-related distractions. The research described in this document is part of an effort to develop initial design guidance for Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) safety messages provided using driver–infrastructure interfaces and driver–vehicle interfaces. Existing HFCV research, in addition to research from related domains, was used to develop this preliminary design guidance. The target audiences for this information are CV system designers and other State transportation department personnel involved in the development and implementation of V2I applications that provide safety information.

Active Traffic Management Signs and Drivers’ Speed Selection in a Driving Simulator

Active traffic management (ATM) incorporates a collection of strategies allowing the dynamic management of recurrent and non-recurrent congestion, based on prevailing traffic conditions. These strategies help to increase peak capacity, smooth traffic flows, and increase safety on busy, major highways. Studies were conducted in a driving simulator to examine driver behavior in response to a variety of scenarios using ATM signs. The present research focuses on the use of variable speed limit (VSL) signs that are shown over each lane on a highway. The studies showed compliance with the VSL signs. Issues with respect to sign design, operational implementation, and driver speed selection, are discussed.

Transportation Research into Practice: A Multi-Agency Government Perspective

Safety is the top priority of the US Department of Transportation (DOT), with much of its

Active Traffic Management Sign Comprehension

1B of annual research and development budget focused on this priority. Each organization within DOT, and its oversight origination, the National Transportation Safety Board, have research programs that independently and jointly aim to impact and address these current and emerging safety issues, many of which are rooted in human factors causes. This panel will provide insight into understanding these issues, and how research was designed to deliver fieldable results that produced tangible safety benefits.