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This study examined the effects of formalized training on driver behavior and understanding of an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system with drivers experienced with ACC. Sixteen participants drove an ACC-equipped vehicle while following a lead vehicle around a test track. Participants completed three laps, each involving different lead vehicle behaviors, such as making a lane change or stopping at a red light, that test the limitations and capabilities of ACC (i.e., boundary conditions) of the subject ACC system. Immediately before driving, half of the participants watched a training video describing how the ACC system would respond to these lead vehicle behaviors. Participants’ knowledge of the ACC system limitations was assessed by a pre- and post-test questionnaire, and participants’ interactions with the ACC system - including braking behavior, other pedal movements, and actuation of ACC via steering wheel controls - were recorded by video cameras.

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) systems, along with other types of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), are becoming more common in passenger vehicles, with the general aim of improving driver safety through automation of various aspects of the driving task. Drivers have generally reported satisfaction with ADAS with the exception of LDW systems, which are often rated poorly or even deactivated by drivers. One potential contributor to this negative response may be an increase in the cognitive load associated with lane-keeping when LDW is in use. The present study sought to examine the relationship between LDW, lane-keeping behavior, and concurrent cognitive load, as measured by performance on a secondary task. Participants drove a vehicle equipped with LDW in a demarcated lane on a closed-course test track with and without the LDW system in use over multiple sessions.

We examined relative effectiveness of heads-up visual displays for lane departure warning (LDW) 39 younger to middle aged drivers (25-50, mean = 35 years) and 37 older drivers (66-87, mean = 77 years). The LDW included yellow “advisory” visuals in the center screen when the driver started drifting toward the adjacent lane. The visuals turned into red “imminent” when the tires overlapped with the lane markers. The LDW was turned off if the driver activated the turn signal. The visuals could be easily segregated from the background scene, making them salient but not disruptive to the driver’s forward field of view. The visuals were placed adjacent to the left and right lane markers in the lower half of the center screen.