Enhancing the Effectiveness of Safety Report Warning Systems for Older Drivers: Project Report

Abstract Older adults are at greater risk of death and serious injury in transportation crashes which have been increasing in older adult cohorts relative to younger cohorts. Can technology provide a safer road environment? Even if technology can mitigate crash risk, is it acceptable to older road users? We outline the results from several studies that tested 1) whether advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) can improve older adult driving performance, 2) older adults’ acceptance of ADAS and Autonomous Vehicle (AV) systems, and 3) perceptions of value for ADAS systems, particularly for blind-spot detection systems. We found that collision avoidance warning systems improved older adult simulator driving performance, but not lane departure warning systems. In a young to middle-aged sample the factor “concern with AV” showed age effects with older drivers less favorable. Older drivers, however, valued an active blind spot detection system more than younger drivers.

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OLDER DRIVERS’ ACCEPTANCE OF LONGITUDINAL AND LATERAL VEHICLE WARNING SYSTEMS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igy031.3601 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (suppl_1) ◽

pp. 972-972 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

D Souders ◽

N Charness ◽

H Pham ◽

N Roque

Keyword(s):

Older Drivers ◽

Warning Systems

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Aging: Older Adults’ Driving Behavior Using Longitudinal and Lateral Warning Systems

Human Factors The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society ◽

10.1177/0018720819864510 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 62 (2) ◽

pp. 229-248 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Dustin J. Souders ◽

Neil Charness ◽

Nelson A. Roque ◽

Hellen Pham

Keyword(s):

Driving Simulator ◽

Driving Behavior ◽

Driving Performance ◽

Older Drivers ◽

Critical Event ◽

Warning Systems ◽

Driver Assistance Systems ◽

Subjective Workload ◽

Concurrent Use ◽

Forward Collision Warning

Objective This study assessed older drivers’ driving behavior when using longitudinal and lateral vehicle warning systems together. Background Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) can benefit drivers of all ages. Previous research with younger to middle-aged samples suggests that safety benefits are not necessarily additive with additional ADAS. Increases in following distance associated with the use of forward collision warning (FCW) decreased when drivers also used lane departure warning (LDW), likely due to attending to the LDW more than the FCW. Method The current study used a driving simulator to provide 128 older drivers experience with FCW and/or LDW system(s) during a ~25-min drive to gauge their usage’s effects on driving performance and subjective workload. Results There were no significant differences found in headway distance between older drivers who used different combinations of FCW and LDW systems, but those who used an FCW system showed significantly longer time-to-collision (TTC) when approaching the critical event than those who did not. Users of LDW systems did not show reductions in standard deviation of lane position. Analyses of subjective workload measures showed no significant differences between conditions. Conclusion Findings suggest that FCW could increase older drivers’ TTC over the course of a drive. Contrary to previous findings in younger samples, concurrent use of FCW and LDW systems did not adversely affect older drivers’ longitudinal driving performance and subjective workload. Application Potential applications of this research include the assessment of older drivers’ use of vehicle warning systems and their effects on subjective workload.

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