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Browsing by Author "Morris, Nichole L."

Now showing 1 - 20 of 26
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    Computerized Crash Reports Usability and Design Investigation
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2016-06) Morris, Nichole L.; Achtemeier, Jacob D.; Ton, Alice; Plummer, John Paul; Sykes, Jennifer
    Electronic crash reports are advantageous because they can limit missing data, transcription errors, and the space limitations of a single sheet of paper. Advancing electronic reports through user-centered design affords an opportunity to improve law enforcement officer’s (LEOs) ability to accurately, timely, and efficiently document crashes. Minnesota’s commencement of a new crash records database offered a unique opportunity for a redesign of its electronic crash report to best support LEOs. A well-designed electronic report will not only support LEOs in the line of duty but will also lead to more useful, complete, and accurate data for various state and federal agencies for analysis and policy decision making. The objectives of this project were to: 1) improve crash data reliability and validity, 2) develop a framework crash report interface based on human factors principles and usability requirements, and 3) reduce the mental workload and required steps for users. Project tasks included: heuristic and hierarchical task analysis, cognitive walkthroughs, validity and reliability testing, interviews, beta testing, and usability testing. The human factors principles and user-centric approach lead the iterative design process to produce a product with high levels of usability and intuitiveness. The project featured a cooperative approach among university researchers, state agencies, and a private developer to ensure that the knowledge, design, and results of the research effort was fully transferred into the final product. The resulting interfaces preliminarily suggest improved user satisfaction, along with data completeness and accuracy, and provide a resource for replication in multiple domains.
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    Deployment of a Snowplow Driver-Assist System
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2023-06) Davis, Brian; Schwieters, Katelyn; Morris, Nichole L.; Donath, Max
    Snowplow operators are often tasked with clearing snow from roadways under challenging conditions. One such situation is low visibility due to falling or blowing snow that makes it difficult to navigate, stay centered in the lane, and identify upcoming hazards. To support snowplow operators working in these conditions, University of Minnesota researchers developed a snowplow driver-assist system that provides the operator with visual and auditory information that is suitable for low-visibility situations. A lane-guidance system uses high-accuracy Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and maps of the roadway to provide information to drivers about their lateral positions. A forward-obstacle-detection system uses forward-facing radar to detect potential hazards in the roadway. The design of the system, and in particular its interface, is guided by extensive user testing to ensure the system is easy to understand, easy to use, and well liked among its users. The system was deployed in two phases over the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 winter seasons. In total, nine systems were deployed on snowplows across Minnesota, four in the first winter season and an additional five in the second. Participating truck stations represented all eight MnDOT districts as well as Dakota County. Over the course of the deployment, additional user feedback was collected to identify system strengths and areas for improvement. The system was found to be a cost-effective addition to snowplows that increase driver safety, reduce plow downtime, and increase driver efficacy for plowing operations, thus providing support to operators working in demanding, low-visibility conditions.
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    Development of a Mobile App for Reporting Work Zone Intrusions
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2024-01) Davis, Brian; Morris, Nichole L.; Craig, Curtis; Schumacher, John; Khoday, Annaika
    Work zone intrusions represent a significant safety risk to workers. To help better understand these situations, the Minnesota Department of Transportation partnered with the University of Minnesota to create a method to document intrusion events. This information provides a deeper understanding of the circumstances under which these events occur and enables data-driven decision making when considering ways to reduce or mitigate work zone intrusions. This work focuses on the development of a mobile smartphone app that allows workers to report intrusions from the field immediately after they occur, allowing for timely and accurate intrusion reporting. The work zone intrusion mobile app is developed using an iterative, user-centered design process that solicits feedback from work zone personnel, supervisors, and work zone safety stakeholders at every step in the process. The app uploads completed report data to the existing eSAFE system, allowing for a single repository of collected intrusion report data. To support deployment of the system, training workshops and supporting training and communications materials are created for distribution among users. Throughout the development and deployment of the app, user feedback shows that the app is easy to use and well liked.
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    Development of Driver Assistance Systems to Support Snowplow Operations
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2018-08) Liao, Chen-Fu; Morris, Nichole L.; Achtemeier, Jacob; Alexander, Lee; Davis, Brian; Donath, Max; Parikh, Gordon
    Snowplow operators are often tasked with numerous monitoring and operational activities that they need to do simultaneously while removing snow and spreading deicing agents on the road. Driver assist systems were considered for 3 applications: gang plowing, backup assist, and lane boundary guidance. We evaluated the system performance and position accuracy of commercially available Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) Onboard Units (OBU) for gang plowing. Our results indicated that the positioning accuracy of the OBUs was inadequate for providing the plow operator with sufficient information to maintain spacing between two vehicles. The backup assist system and lane boundary guidance system were developed and successfully deployed to support snowplow operations. Human factors studies were also conducted using a driving simulator to better understand the needs prior to designing an appropriate Human Machine Interface (HMI) for these plow operations. The radar-based backup assist system was installed on a snowplow that operates on Highway 169. The backup assist system provides an audio warning to the operator to look at the display from a rear-view camera when an object is detected. The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based lane boundary guidance system was developed to assist plow operations when visibility is poor and lane boundary cues are limited. The lane boundary guidance system was installed on a second snowplow operating on MN-25 running between Belle Plaine and Green Isle. The lane boundary guidance received the most positive feedback from operators and is recommended for further development.
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    Establishing a Repeatable Method for Presenting Nontraditional Traffic Treatments to Maximize Stakeholder Support
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2023-08) Morris, Nichole L.; Schwieters, Katelyn R.; Craig, Curtis M.; Tian, Disi
    A novel infrastructure design known as the J-turn intersection reduces the risk of serious and fatal crashes at thru-STOP intersections through decreasing points of conflict at an intersection by restricting crossing movements from the minor road. Despite their demonstrated safety efficacy, J-turns have not been met with uniformly positive support. In this research, we first examine novice driver baseline attitudes and driving behaviors on J-turns using a driving simulator study. Results demonstrate that critical errors are decreased with driving exposure to the J-turn; however, attitudes toward J-turns are not improved by exposure alone. A series of studies then evaluates the efficacy of various messaging strategies and educational materials on improving attitudes toward J-turns. The findings from these studies identify that the use of both educational materials and persuasive and customized messaging strategies is an effective method for increasing acceptance of J-turns across diverse resident populations (i.e., rural, suburban, and urban) and among stakeholders in Minnesota. This work demonstrates the importance of the role of proactive educational programs and community initiatives in promoting the acceptance and buy-in toward novel roadway treatments, such as J-turns, among diverse drivers, communities, and stakeholder groups.
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    Evaluation of Sustained Enforcement, Education, and Engineering Measures on Pedestrian Crossings
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation., 2019-07) Morris, Nichole L.; Craig, Curtis M.; Van Houten, Ron
    Pedestrian fatalities and injuries represent a growing percentage of all traffic fatalities and injuries. This project used a multifaceted approach to improving compliance to the Minnesota crosswalk law in Saint Paul, Minnesota, including: (1) education, (2) measurement, (3) enforcement efforts, (4) social norming, and (5) engineering treatment. The multifaceted activities were planned and implemented in Saint Paul with city traffic engineers and enforcement officers. The study initially observed 32% yielding and frequent multiple threat passing at 16 unsignalized, marked crosswalks throughout Saint Paul, measured through staged pedestrian crossings by the research team. A program was implemented that used a phased treatment approach of disseminating educational materials, conducting four waves of high visibility enforcement (HVE), displaying yielding averages on feedback signs across the city, and introducing low-cost engineering solutions through in-street signs. The results demonstrated a significant impact from education, HVE, and engineering to increase yielding to as high as 78% at enforcement sites and 61% at untreated sites. Multiple threat passing was also reduced. Overall, the study demonstrated that the HVE program and combined low-cost engineering were effective at improving compliance to the crosswalk law.
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    Examining Optimal Sight Distances at Rural Intersections
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation., 2019-07) Morris, Nichole L.; Craig, Curtis M.; Achtemeier, Jacob D.
    Decisions made regarding driver sight distance at rural intersections are complex and require considerations for safety, efficiency, and environmental factors. Sight distance, cross-traffic velocity, and vehicle placements significantly affect driver judgment and behavior atthese intersections. A series of rural, two-lane thru-STOP simulated intersections with differing sight distances and traffic speeds were created and then validated by county and state engineers. Experimental data from 36 participants in a time-to-collision (TTC) intersection crossing judgment task and a rural highway thru-STOP intersection driving simulation task was analyzed to clarify the influence of rural thru-STOP intersection characteristics on driving performance and decision-making. Results demonstrated that longer sight distances of1,000 ft. and slower crossing speeds (i.e., 55 mph) were more accommodating for participants attempting to select gaps and cross from the minor road, corresponding with (1) lower mental workload, perceived risk, difficulty, and anxiousness, and (2) better performance in terms of estimated crash rate, and larger TTCs. Second, longer distances of 1,000 ft. appear to aid drivers’ responsiveness on the main road approaching an intersection, specifically when another driver on the minor road runs the stop sign. Minor road drivers positioned close tothe roadway at the stop sign, compared to standard stop bar placement, tended to help reduce the speed of main road drivers. Overall,results demonstrated a systematic improvement in the performance of both minor and major road drivers with the implementation of a1,000-foot sight distance at rural thru-STOP intersections.
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    Examining the Impact of ASE (Automated Speed Enforcement) in Work Zones on Driver Attention
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2016-01) Morris, Nichole L.; Cooper, Jennifer L.; Ton, Alice; Plummer, John Paul; Easterlund, Peter
    Each year, there are over 500 fatal crashes in work zones in the U.S., with over 100 road construction workers killed on work sites (NSC, 2011; FARS, 2011). Speed and distraction are among the top contributing factors to work zone crashes (Garber & Zhao, 2002; Mountain, Hirst, & Maher, 2005; Wilson, Willis, Hendrikz, Le Brocque, & Bellamy, 2006). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of different types of speed enforcement methods on driver attention in work zones. The investigation not only examined enforcement methods currently used in Minnesota, but also examined how implementing automated speed enforcement (ASE), which is not currently used in Minnesota, may influence driver attention and behavior in simulated work zones. Overall, the results do not appear to support the hypothesis that ASE without dynamic speed display sign (DSDS) improves driver attention in work zones. There is some evidence, however, that drivers did heighten their visual attention in work zones with ASE+DSDS enforcement. Drivers fixated on the secondary task display less frequently in the ASE+DSDS condition compared to other enforcement types while they traveled in the downstream portion of the work zone. The largest effects of the study were found among the age groups, with younger and older drivers exceeding the speed limit most often and varying their speed slightly depending on the type of enforcement present. Middle-aged drivers exhibited the greatest speed control and tended to abide by the speed limit to the same extent regardless of the type of enforcement present.
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    HumanFIRST Driving Simulation Educational Development
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-05) Morris, Nichole L.; Craig, Curtis M.; Achtemeier, Jacob D.; Easterlund, Peter
    The HumanFIRST Laboratory was recently awarded a grant through the University of Minnesota Office of the Vice President for Research tomatch funds to completely overhaul the laboratory’s driving simulators. This upgrade, which includes large touchscreen displays in theimmersive simulators’ cockpit, will allow the laboratory to conduct innovative research in the fields of connected vehicles, in-vehicle technologies, and automated vehicles. In addition, the visibility of the laboratory’s increased capabilities is expected to boost an alreadyfrequent demand for educational and training partnerships (particularly around high-risk behaviors, such as distraction and speeding) fromboth government and private groups. In addition to the value in education and dissemination of knowledge regarding roadway safety tothe greater community through demonstrations using the simulator, these partnerships often foster future opportunities for research partnerships and funding. Legacy driving scenarios will be updated to new simulator specifications. The creation of this new content is expected to allow new funding opportunities and will facilitate the research team to share its knowledge through educational and training opportunities within the regional community. This research leveraged the investment in the new simulator and propel the laboratory’s capabilities through the creation of three distinct simulated demonstrations focused on controlled hand-offs with automated vehicles,distracted driving via non-driving-related in-vehicle technologies, and speeding in pedestrian populated areas. These topics are keyresearch focus areas for the Roadway Safety Institute and are core focus areas for the HumanFIRST Laboratory and its funding stakeholders.
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    Identifying and Reconciling Stakeholder Perspectives in Deploying Automated Speed Enforcement
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2017-05) Peterson, Colleen; Douma, Frank; Morris, Nichole L.
    Speeding is a public-health crisis, making up approximately a third of roadway deaths each year in the United States. One countermeasure with clearly documented efficacy to reduce speed is automated speed enforcement (ASE). Public acceptance of ASE, however, has been marginal with many drivers calling into question its need and legality. This project used surveys and interviews to better understand public rejection of ASE and to strategically provide individualized information to determine whether opinions can be shifted toward a more favorable view of ASE. Statistically significant movement on ASE opinion was achieved after respondents engaged with a tailored survey addressing their particular ASE concerns. Those who changed their opinion were more engaged (e.g., considered the opposite of their current stance more fully) and were persuaded by evidence of safety benefits resulting from reduced speeds and effective speed reduction with ASE deployment.
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    Improvement of Driving Simulator Eye Tracking Software
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-06) Davis, Brian; Morris, Nichole L.; Achtemeier, Jacob D.; Easterlund, Peter
    This work focuses on improving the eye tracking analysis tools used with the HumanFIRST driving simulator. Eye tracking is an important tool for simulation-based studies. It allows researchers to understand where participants are focusing their visual attention while driving. The eye tracking system provides a nearly continuous record of the direction in which the driver is looking with respect to real-world coordinates. However, this by itself does not give any information about the objects at which the driver is looking. To determine when a driver is fixated on a given element in the simulated world (e.g., a vehicle or sign), additional processing is necessary. Current methods to process this data are time and resource intensive, requiring a researcher to manually review the eye tracking data. This motivates an automated solution that can automatically and programmatically combine eye tracking and simulator data to determine at which object(s) (either in the real world or the simulated world) the driver is looking. This was accomplished by developing and implementing software capable of providing useful eye tracking data to researchers without requiring time and resource intensive human intervention and hand coding of data. The data generated by the analysis software was designed to provide a set of summary statistics and metrics that will be useful across different simulation studies. Additionally, visualization software was created to allow researchers to view key simulator and eye tracking data for context or insight or to identify and characterize anomalies in the analysis software. Overall, the software implemented will increase the efficiency with which eye tracking data can be used alongside simulator data.
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    In-Vehicle Dynamic Curve-Speed Warnings at High-Risk Rural Curves
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2018-03) Davis, Brian; Morris, Nichole L.; Achtemeier, Jacob D.; Patzer, Brady
    Lane-departure crashes at horizontal curves represent a significant portion of fatal crashes on rural Minnesota roads. Because of this, solutions are needed to aid drivers in identifying upcoming curves and inform them of a safe speed at which they should navigate the curve. One method for achieving this that avoids costly infrastructure-based methods is to use in-vehicle technology to display dynamic curve-speed warnings to the driver. Such a system would consist of a device located in the vehicle capable of providing a visual and auditory warning to the driver when approaching a potentially hazardous curve at an unsafe speed. This project seeks to determine the feasibility of in-vehicle dynamic curve-speed warnings as deployed on a smartphone app. The system was designed to maximize safety and efficacy to ensure that system warnings are appropriate, timely, and non-distracting to the driver. The developed system was designed and implemented based on the results of a literature survey and a usability study. The developed system was evaluated by 24 Minnesota drivers in a controlled pilot study at the Minnesota Highway Safety and Research Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The results of the pilot study showed that, overall, the pilot study participants liked the system and found it useful. Analysis of quantitative driver behavior metrics showed that when receiving appropriately placed warnings, drivers navigated horizontal curves 8-10% slower than when not using the system. These findings show that such a curve-speed warning system would be useful, effective, and safe for Minnesota drivers.
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    In-Vehicle Work Zone Messages
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2017-06) Craig, Curtis M.; Achtemeier, Jacob; Morris, Nichole L.; Tian, Disi; Patzer, Brady
    Work zones present an increased risk to drivers and the work crew. To mitigate these risks, this study investigated the potential effects of in-vehicle messages to communicate work zone events to the driver. The researchers conducted literature reviews on risks imposed by work zones, along with design guidelines for any in-vehicle messaging system. The researchers then conducted a work zone safety survey to illustrate driver attitudes in Minnesota toward work zones, along with smartphone use and in-vehicle messages through smartphones. The survey found that a significant number of drivers make use of smartphones in the automobile, and they placed these smartphones in various locations throughout the vehicle. The survey was followed by a driving simulation study that tested drivers in two different types of work zones. Participants drove through these work zones three times, each with different messaging interfaces to communicate hazardous events to the driver. The interfaces included a roadside, portable changeable message sign, a smartphone presenting only auditory messages, and a smartphone presenting audio-visual messages. There was better driving performance on key metrics including speed deviation and lane deviation for the in-vehicle message conditions relative to the roadside signs. Furthermore, drivers reported significantly less mental workload and better usability, work zone event recall, and eye gaze behavior for the in-vehicle conditions relative to the roadside sign condition.
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    Minnesota Crash Records Audit
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2020-08) Morris, Nichole L.; Libby, David A.; Peterson, Colleen; Ryan, Andrew; Sheppard, McKenzie
    In 2016, Minnesota deployed a state-of-the-art electronic crash reporting system to all law enforcement officers across the state. The updated crash report was created with the officer in mind through an extensive usability and design project led by HumanFIRST. Preliminary testing of the new system suggested high user satisfaction but could not determine the extent of the crash data improvement. This study employed a mixed-methods approach to conduct a series of qualitative analyses of the crash data records collected by the legacy crash reporting system and the new MNCrash reporting system. The first analysis compared 360 serious injury and fatal crash reports from 2015 and 2016 and found a year-to-year decrease in mismatching data but a slight increase in missing data. However, overall, the MNCrash system increased the number of data queries, so data access was increased in 2016. The second analysis of serious and fatal injury crashes compared 996 reports sampled from 2015 and 1,572 reports sampled from 2016. The analysis showed a decrease in missing data and a decrease in erroneous data entry in 2016. Finally, the converted 2015 legacy data was analyzed to reveal few errors in the MNCrash conversion process.
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    Minnesota MNCrash Design and Training Research Development
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2020-09) Morris, Nichole L.; Schwieters, Katelyn R.; Craig, Curtis M.
    This report includes research activities that focused on the MNCrash interface design and training. A series of usability tests was conducted on the existing MNCrash interface system to document errors, frustrations, or confusion points that could be improved through iterative design and training. Usability testing with MNCrash users revealed that the majority of problems were related to detail and efficiency. Next, design recommendations were developed based on a set of criteria to reduce error and user frustration and to improve efficiency and user satisfaction. The outcome resulted in the implementation of several design change recommendations with a focus on addressing more accurate and complete data. To follow, a decision aid prototype was developed to determine if there were measurable effects of increasing accuracy of injury severity reporting for law enforcement participants. The prototype received high-level support, produced good usability, and increased accuracy in injury severity reporting. Finally, to complement the interface design recommendations, a training was developed to address knowledge gaps and improve accuracy in crash data reporting for law enforcement officers. The training was created on Rise360, an e-learning platform. Several iterations and user testing with law enforcement participants and crash reporting experts resulted in a final training design that consisted of an introductory module, eight core modules, eight quizzes, and a concluding module. The training produced good usability and user satisfaction recommended for implementation.
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    Multi-city study of an engineering and outreach program to increase driver yielding at signalized and unsignalized crosswalks
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2023-03) Morris, Nichole L.; Craig, Curtis M.; Drahos, Bradley; Tian, Disi; Van Houten, Ron; Mabry, Marshall; Kessler, William
    Pedestrian deaths are at a 30-year high nationally, accounting for 16% of total deaths in 2018 and far exceeding the previous decade of 12%, a trend mirrored in Minnesota. Previous research found an increase in local and citywide yielding at unsignalized crosswalks following an engineering and high-visibility enforcement program in Saint Paul, Minnesota. This study examined a modified engineering-focused (i.e., without enforcement) program expanded to both unsignalized and signalized intersections across the Twin Cities. The six-month study found modest improvements in yielding from baseline to treatment end (48.1% to 65.5% in Saint Paul and 19.8% to 38.8% in Minneapolis) at unsignalized engineering treatment sites but no improvements at generalization sites. No significant improvements in left- or right-turning yielding by drivers in Saint Paul were found at treated signalized intersections, but given that yielding was significantly worse at generalization sites over time, there may be some evidence that treatments mitigated performance declines among Saint Paul drivers during the study period. Yielding improvements at signalized treatment sites were more pronounced for only right-turning drivers in Minneapolis, but generalization sites showed no improvement or even worsened over time. Overall, study results suggested no shift in driving culture in either city, as found with the previous study using police enforcement, but found some evidence of local, site-specific changes in driver yielding behavior at treatment locations.
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    A Next Generation Non-Distracting In-Vehicle 511 Traveler Information Service
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2014-10) Morris, Nichole L.; Ton, Alice; Cooper, Jennifer; Edwards, Chris; Donath, Max
    This study investigates the current features of state and proprietary traveler information applications, elements of good design and usability, human factors issues regarding visual and cognitive distraction, and makes recommendations for the next generation of Minnesota’s traveler information application, MN 511. Traveler information systems were created to serve drivers by providing accurate information about traffic and road conditions before drivers began their trip. The advancement of cellular telephones provided a new opportunity for drivers to access traffic and road information en-route, but introduced considerable cognitive distraction on drivers navigating the complex phone trees. The evolution of traveler information systems onto smartphone applications has eased the cognitive demand previously imposed by phone tree systems, but has shifted the demand to drivers’ visual resources. The dichotomy between state-funded 511 travel information applications and proprietary traveler information applications is primarily determined by the features each contains. The common features included in the current proprietary traveler information applications provide insight into the opportunities for future iterations of MN 511 mobile applications. The MN 511 application can continue to improve by incorporating select features from proprietary applications, such as voice commands, route guidance, saved places, and travel time estimates, while taking into account cognitive workload and visual distraction. This is important because publicly funded traveler information applications have a greater responsibility, compared to proprietary applications, to account for distraction and ensure the safety of its users.
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    Older Driver Support System (ODSS) Usability and Design Investigation
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2018-01) Morris, Nichole L.; Craig, Curtis M.; Libby, David A.; Cooper, Jennifer
    Older drivers represent a high-risk population on the road, due to age-related declines in cognition and perception. The present research investigated whether an Older Driver Support System (ODSS) smartphone application would be useful. The research presented here was comprised of (1) focus groups, surveys, and interviews, (2) simulated driving with video playback, and (3) on-the-road field-testing. The methodology centered on iterative re-design of the ODSS interface based on feedback and behavior of older drivers. This iterative re-design approach was successful at making the ODSS interface more usable when considering System Usability Scale (SUS) scores. Furthermore, older drivers during the field test reported minimal mental effort expended when using the smartphone application and many significantly positive statements about the application. The field test resulted in several final recommendations for the ODSS application. A promising final takeaway was a universal design approach preferred by the older drivers, as they did not want to be singled out for special attention.
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    Older Driver Support System Field Operational Test
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-05) Libby, David A.; Morris, Nichole L.; Craig, Curtis M.
    Older drivers represent the highest injury and fatality rate per 100 million miles driven. The disproportionate fatality risk is linked to several known factors, ranging from failure to yield to cognitive and visual limitations to seatbelt use abstention to fragility. Through a series of focus groups, usability tests, and a controlled field test, a universally designed smartphone app (called RoadCoach) designed to reduce risky driving behaviors, such as speeding and hard braking, was previously found to have high usability among older drivers. The current research consisted of a field operational test of the app, which examined the baseline driving behavior (3 weeks) of 28 older drivers in Minnesota and Kansas, their driving behavior with RoadCoach feedback (6 weeks), and their driving behavior during a follow-up, no-feedback period (3 weeks). The results demonstrated marginal reductions in speeding behaviors while the app was functioning, but speed behaviors significantly increased after the feedback was discontinued compared to when it was active. Hard braking and stop sign violations were significantly reduced during feedback and post feedback. Finally, satisfaction and trust were high among users, with drivers reporting that the app helped improve their attention and focus on the task of driving.
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    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.