Siby Samuel

A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of a Tablet-based Training Program for Younger Drivers: Addressing Distraction Head On

Driver distraction is a leading cause of crashes, especially among novice drivers. Distraction for novice drivers is especially problematic in the presence of latent hazards (hazards which are not visible but could very well materialize). The current study evaluates the effectiveness of a tablet-based training program called the Engaged Driver Training System (EDTS) that enables novice drivers to navigate through realistic scenarios on a tablet and incorporates an error feedback mechanism to train them on latent hazard detection in high-risk scenarios. This study attempts to assess whether the training has an effect on drivers’ hazard anticipation skills and their willingness to engage in a secondary task in the presence of latent hazards. The secondary tasks include both tasks that require drivers to take their eyes off the road (e.g., operating the defroster) and those which do not (e.g., talking on a cell phone). Participants were assigned either to the EDTS condition or the placebo condition. After training (EDTS or placebo), the groups navigated ten different scenarios on a driving simulator and were instructed to engage during the drive in as many secondary tasks as they choose to, as long as they felt safe to do so. The secondary tasks were fully user paced. The results indicate that training drivers to detect latent hazards on a tablet can increase their recognition of latent hazards in a driving simulator and reduce their willingness to engage in distracting activities in the presence of such hazards. A usability survey by the EDTS participants suggests that the training platform was effective in imparting latent hazard detection knowledge and that the tablet interface was easy to use and understand.

Effectiveness of Visual Collision Warning Alerts on Young Drivers' Latent Hazard Anticipation

Forward roadway collision warning systems can reduce rear-end collisions, among other unsafe behaviors. Previous studies have shown that young drivers fail to scan adequately for latent hazards. The current driving simulator study investigates the effect of visual collision warning messages on drivers’ hazard anticipation ability, when presented either 2s, 3s or 4s in advance of a potential threat. This experiment examined the latent hazard anticipation behavior of fortyeight young drivers aged 18-25 across eight unique scenarios both, in the presence, and absence of visual collision warning alerts. The analysis of glance data captured using an eye tracker, show that visual warning messages significantly increased the proportion of latent hazards anticipated regardless of hazard type (pedestrian or vehicle). The 2s warning duration was found to statistically have the same effect on hazard anticipation compared to the 3s and 4s warning thresholds. The study has potential implications for the effective design of forward collision warning systems.

Investigating a Non-Invasive Method of Measuring the Quality of Latent Hazard Schemas of Novice Teen and Experienced Adult Drivers: A New Perspective using Traditional Tools

The main objective of this study was to investigate the development of a non-invasive tool for assessing the quality of a driver’s latent hazard schema. Verbal and eye tracking protocols were mapped to Endsley’s model of situation awareness (SA) as a means of measuring schema development. Participants were asked to drive a simulator with various hazard scenarios. Verbal protocol results showed that teenswere less likely to verbally associate subtle cues and accurately state what ‘could happen’. The verbal protocols of teens consisted primarily of simple statements of what was happening and what they were currently doing. Whereas, experienced drivers’ verbal protocols indicated higher levels of processing of the driving environment and contained projections of what could happen. In mapping driver commentary and eye glances for potential hazards in which the hazardous element is hidden from view, experienced adult drivers achieved overall higher level of situation awareness than teen drivers.