Presenting
Hazard Warning Information To Drivers Using An Advanced Traveler Information
System Background
Although Advanced Traveler Information System devices have the potential to improve travel safety, efficiency, and comfort, they represent a new frontier in ground transportation. In order to realize this potential, they must be designed in a manner consistent with the capabilities and limitations of the driving public. This summary presents some key results of a project to develop a precise and detailed set of preliminary human factors design guidelines for ATIS and Commercial Vehicle Operations (cvo) devices. A key subsystem of ATIS will be the In-Vehicle Safety Advisory and Warning Systems (wsAws), which will provide warnings of unsafe roadway conditions and situations affecting the driver. Some recommendations for presenting hazard warning information to drivers by means of an ATIS are presented in table l.
|
ATIS Information Element |
Recommended Display Mode |
Recommended Display Format |
| Location of the hazard | Visual | Iconic or graphic design, alone or with text description. |
| Type of the hazard | Visual | Iconic or graphic design, alone or with text description. |
| Distance to the hazard | Auditory | Alerting tone, then speech. |
| Alternate route | Visual | Iconic or graphic design, alone or with text description. |
What is Hazard Warning Information?
Hazard warning information may include information on the relative location of a hazard, the type of hazard, and the approach of emergency vehicles. This information may also include warning the driver of an accident immediately ahead, a stopped school bus, or other hazard in the road. Thus, this information focuses on the location and nature of specific incidents.
How Should Hazard Warning Information Be Presented to Drivers?
Reference 1 provides some general guidelines that can be used to aid in the design of hazard warning information. These guidelines are presented in table 1.
How is Hazard Warning Information Used by Drivers?
As described in reference 2, hazard warning information augments typical sources of information such as car radios, roadside signs, and passengers in the vehicle. However, limits on attention and memory will affect how much information the driver can process in a given period of time. Presenting hazard warning information through an ATIS can alert the driver more quickly and provide suggestions or route alternatives that will avoid the hazard. Hazard warning information should be designed in a manner that facilitates the driver's ability to:
How Will Commercial Drivers Benefit?
Hazard warning information can be especially useful to commercial drivers. The more limited maneuvering capabilities of trucks, combined with fewer routing options, make an advance warning valuable to truck drivers who need more time to respond to roadway accidents and other hazardous conditions. Emergency vehicles traveling at high speeds could also benefit from advance warning of roadway hazards. If the hazard is brought to their attention using an Ans, commercial drivers may choose to direct their attention away from less important tasks (e.g., tuning the radio or communicating with dispatch centers) and focus on avoiding the hazard.
References
1. Development of Human Factors Guidelines for Advanced Traveler Information Systems and Commercial Vehicle Operations Components of the Intelligent Transportation Systems: Identification of Strengths and Weaknesses of Alternative Information Display Formats, Publication No. FHWA-RD-96-142, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.
2. Development of Human Factors Guidelines for Advanced Traveler Information Systems and Commercial Vehicle Operations Components of'the Intelligent Transportation Systems: Description of'Ans/cvo Functions, Publication No. FHWA-RD-95-201, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.