Browsing by Author "Manser, Michael"

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Bus Driver Intersection Task Analysis: Investigation of Bus-Pedestrian Crashes
(Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2013-01) Wei, Chia; Becic, Ensar; Edwards, Christopher; Manser, Michael
The current report includes two specific research efforts. The primary objective of the first research effort was to conduct a task analysis of a left-turn maneuver by a bus driver. The goal of this task analysis was to provide insight into the cognitive and perceptual processes that bus drivers complete while performing a left-turn maneuver. An additional goal of the first research effort included the development of potential countermeasures that could help reduce the frequency of bus-pedestrian collisions. The interviews conducted as part of the task analysis revealed that drivers engage in a large number of subtasks and cognitive/perceptual processes when completing a left-turn maneuver. We proposed two potential interventions for the reduction of bus/pedestrian collisions. One of the proposed interventions was designed to aid a driver in detection of pedestrians at a crosswalk. The second intervention was designed to remove a need to perform a particular attention-demanding subtask to reduce the cognitive and perceptual load that drivers experience during this maneuver. The second research effort was designed as a pilot simulator study in which we examined the potential effectiveness of proposed interventions. The second study uncovered unanticipated findings (i.e., high rate of collisions with pedestrians) that may be due to the nature of the simulator studies – lack of real-world consequences. The results of the pilot study provided sufficient data for further examination of different support tools for the reduction of the fatalities between left-turning buses, and also uncovered potential relationship between work-related stress and the impact on driving performance.
Connected Vehicles Program: Driver Performance and Distraction Evaluation for In-vehicle Signing
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2012-03) Creaser, Janet; Manser, Michael
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) conducted a demonstration project as part of the Connected Vehicles Program to design, build, and test three new software applications to run on a commercially available personal navigation device (PND). The goal of this study was to examine only the in-vehicle signing (IVS) function for four zones and determine the utility and potential distraction associated with this function. The specific zones of interest that were signed on the PND were areas where speed zone changes occurred along the same roadway or for speed changes associated with construction, school and curve zones. A continuous navigation function was provided in two of the three conditions to examine the effect of navigation information alone and multiple sources of information on driving performance. Driving performance measures known to be related to distraction as well as subjective usability and workload measures were used to help identify potential distraction associated with the IVS information. The project identified some driver effects that may occur when using a commercially available navigation device with in-vehicle signing (IVS) information, such as drivers demonstrating higher speeds associated with some of the System On conditions. Overall, distraction effects were small and not consistent across all zones or conditions. The main conclusion drawn from this study was that the IVS information was considered useful by drivers and resulted in few distraction-related effects. The benefit of advance notification likely outweighs any distraction that may be associated with in-vehicle signing of these zones.
Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance System – Stop Sign Assist: Experiments to Validate Use of an In-Vehicle Interface Design
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2012-04) Becic, Ensar; Manser, Michael; Creaser, Janet; Donath, Max
The three studies included in the current report examine the transition from an infrastructure-based rural intersection crossing assist system to one located inside a vehicle. The primary goals of the first study, conducted in a simulator, were to examine the effect of potentially confounding factors, such as the drivers’ familiarity with the assist system and the impact of cognitive load on the drivers’ performance. Next, we examined the efficacy of several different designs of such system to determine the optimal interface design to be used for the in-vehicle system. Finally, the optimal design of the system was examined in the third study, as a field test. The results showed that the use of the system under cognitively demanding conditions did not result in any adverse consequences, which suggested that the processing of the system required minimal cognitive resources. Additionally, the results showed that the benefits of the assist system, such as reduced probability of accepting a critical gap were exhibited under the limited visibility conditions when the perceptual task of determining an appropriate crossing gap became overly demanding. The results from the field study showed that the use of the assist system resulted in improved intersection crossing performance exhibited in increased likelihood of making a complete stop at the stop sign and showed a strong trend toward a decreased probability of accepting critical gaps. Additionally, the impact of the in-vehicle CICAS-SSA was equivalent for older and younger drivers; that is, both age groups benefited from the use of the system.
Generational Perspective on Teen and Older Drivers on Traffic Safety in Rural and Urban Communities
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2008-09) Manser, Michael; Rakauskas, Michael; Ward, Nic; Jones, Pam; Mayer, Amy; Armson, Rossana
The purpose of this project was to explore beliefs and attitudes about risky driving behavior and traffic safety interventions between urban and rural drivers as a function of age. This was accomplished by conducting focus groups and surveys in rural and urban areas with teens and seniors. Results indicated that traffic safety policy for teens should focus on distraction and sensory-motor functioning amongst seniors. In terms of traffic safety policy for rural areas, attention should be given to interventions promoting seatbelt compliance. Relative to traffic safety interventions, teens felt GDL helped them become better drivers but weren’t convinced GDL had made them better/safer. Teen felt smart technology could have positive effects on safety, but an acceptable program based on this technology needs to balance factors such as cost, robustness, and limitations on driving. Seniors were receptive to mandatory testing but felt it must be flexible, objectively administered, and based on criteria other than age. Rural seniors were concerned about alternative mobility programs for those drivers that fail the proposed test. Relative to these alternative programs, seniors’ acceptance was related to the perceived accessibility to a safe and affordable program that is sufficiently versatile to accommodate a range of transportation needs.
A Pilot Study on Mitigating Run-Off-Road Crashes
(Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute Center for Transportation Studies, 2013-07) Edwards, Christopher; Morris, Nichole L.; Manser, Michael
Run off the road crashes account for approximately 50% of motor vehicle related fatalities on a national and on a state level. To address this unacceptably high rate of fatalities this pilot project first sought to identify the primary factors associated with run off the road crashes and identify limitations and shortcomings of existing countermeasures. This was accomplished through the development of a taxonomy that summarized existing engineering related and human factors related literature according to infrastructure, environment, and driver related factors that have been found to be most associated with run off the road crash-related fatalities. Based on the taxonomy results a new potentially useful countermeasure was identified that consisted of a haptic and auditory feedback. The pilot project then sought to develop and then evaluate a series of prototype countermeasure systems based on haptic and auditory feedback presented either individually or in parallel. The primary results of the driving environment simulator study in which participants drove through a series of realistic worlds experiencing the countermeasures in response to lane departure events found that the presentation of multiple countermeasure systems can provide increased user satisfaction but can also increase driver response times to critical situations. Secondary results of the study suggest that the haptic countermeasures can provide additional information to drivers but that it may not be interpreted by drivers as expected by designers.
Sign Comprehension, Considering Rotation and Location, Using Random Gap Simulation for a Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance System – Stop Sign Assist: CICAS-SSA Report #4
(2010-08) Creaser, Janet; Manser, Michael; Rakauskas, Michael; Donath, Max
Crashes at rural thru-stop intersections arise primarily from a driver attempting to cross or enter the mainline traffic stream after failing to recognize an unsafe gap condition. Because the primary cause of these crashes is not failure to stop, but failure to recognize an unsafe condition, the US DOT FHWA, MnDOT, and the University of Minnesota ITS Institute undertook the CICAS-SSA program. CICAS-SSA uses roadside radar sensors, a computer processor and algorithms to determine unsafe conditions, and an active LED icon based sign to provide timely alerts and warnings which are designed to reduce the frequency of crashes at rural expressway intersections. The primary goal of this portion of the overall effort was to evaluate several candidate CICAS-SSA concepts in order to identify a single sign that may provide the greatest utility in terms of driver performance and usability at a real-world rural intersection. A secondary goal of the work was to determine the ideal physical characteristics (i.e., location and rotation of a sign relative to drivers) of the candidate CICAS-SSA at a test intersection to maximize comprehension (and subsequent use) of the sign. This report summarizes the results of the work.
Teen Driver Support System (TDSS) Field Operational Test
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2015-11) Creaser, Janet; Morris, Nichole L.; Edwards, Christopher; Manser, Michael; Cooper, Jennifer; Swanson, Brandy; Donath, Max
Although teen drivers make up a small percentage of the U.S. driving population, they are at an especially high risk of being involved in a crash. Factors that contribute to teen drivers’ risk include their lack of experience and their tendency to engage in unsafe behaviors such as speeding, driving aggressively, or using a cell phone while behind the wheel. To help teen drivers stay safe on the road, we developed the Teen Driver Support System (TDSS), a smartphonebased system that provides real-time, in-vehicle feedback to teens about their risky behaviors—and reports the behaviors to parents via text message if teens don’t heed the system’s warnings. The TDSS provides geographically specific, realtime feedback to a teen driver at the time unsafe driving behavior occurs so that behaviors can be immediately corrected. This report documents a 12-month field operational test of the system involving 300 newly licensed teens driving on Minnesota roads. The test included a control group that received no feedback, a treatment group that received only TDSS in-vehicle feedback, and a second treatment group that received both TDSS in-vehicle and TDSS parental notifications. Research results indicate an overall safety benefit of TDSS, demonstrating that in-vehicle monitoring and driver alerts, coupled with parental notifications, is a meaningful intervention to reduce the frequency of risky driving behaviors that are correlated with novice teen driver crashes. In particular, the system was shown to be an effective strategy for reducing excessive speeds when used with parental feedback and potentially even without parental involvement.
Usability Evaluation of a Smart Phone-based Teen Driver Support System (TDSS)
(Minnesota Department of Transportation Research Services Section, 2011-05) Creaser, Janet; Gorjestani, Alec; Manser, Michael; Donath, Max
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of teen fatalities. A Teen Driver Support System (TDSS) was developed by the ITS Institute that can allow parents to accurately monitor their teen's driving behavior in relation to known risk factors and Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) provisions. The TDSS, based on a teen's smart phone, provides real-time, contextual in-vehicle feedback to the teen about his or her driving behavior and helps parents monitor certain known risk factors. The system does not allow incoming or outgoing phone calls (except 911) or texting while driving. Feedback to the teen driver includes visual and auditory warnings about speeding, excessive maneuvers (e.g., hard braking, cornering), and stop sign violations. The TDSS prototype also monitors seat belt use and detects the presence of passengers (e.g., based on GDL provisions), two known factors that increase the risk of fatalities among teen drivers. The TDSS can also be programmed to monitor driving during the GDL curfew or a curfew set by parents. A usability review of the prototype TDSS using 30 parent-teen dyads from Washington Country, MN, found that teens and parents held favorable opinions about most of the TDSS functions. Teens and parents both felt that use of the system early in licensure may result in the adoption of safer driving habits even after the system is removed from the vehicle. Several recommendations to improve the system’s usability are made based on the results.
Validation Study – On-Road Evaluation of the Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance System – Stop Sign Assist Sign: CICAS-SSA Report #5
(2010-08) Rakauskas, Michael; Creaser, Janet; Manser, Michael; Graving, Justin; Donath, Max
The CICAS-SSA sign is a roadside driver support system that is intended to improve gap rejection at rural stopcontrolled intersections. The CICAS-SSA system tracks vehicle locations on a major roadway and then displays a message to a driver on the minor road via an active LED icon-based sign. The basis of this sign is a “Divided Highway” sign that is commonly presented in traffic environments. Overlaid on the roadways of the sign are yellow or red icons that represent approaching vehicles that are at a distance at which the driver on the minor road should proceed with caution or at a distance that is considered unsafe to enter the intersection. Previous research conducted in a driving simulation environment indicated potentially beneficial changes in driver decision-making relative to approaching vehicle gap sizes and indicated that drivers perceive the system as being both useful and satisfying. While simulation-based evaluations provide a wealth of useful information, their ability to replicate the full array of behavioral, cognitive, and perceptual elements of a driving environment do have some limitations. It is because of these limitations that it is useful to confirm simulation-based findings in a real-world environment. The primary goal of the current work was to evaluate the candidate CICAS-SSA sign in a real-world setting to confirm previously identified benefits and identify any unintended consequences of sign usage. This goal was accomplished through a validation field test performed at the intersection of US Highway 52 and County Road 9 in Southern Minnesota. The findings of the work are summarized in this report.

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