Abstract
Situation Awareness (SA) is critical to safe driving in a dynamic traffic environment. SA is predicated on the timely sampling of information in the driving environment. Distraction from secondary tasks can interrupt this sampling resulting in increased traffic conflicts and crashes. It is hypothesized that SA may be improved if sampling is augmented with (redundant) non-visual feedback about relevant information in the driving scene. The current study examined a Driver Support System (DSS) based on continuous haptic feedback communicated through the gas pedal. This system was evaluated in a driving simulator with participants distracted by a secondary task utilizing the CD player. The results indicate that this DSS improved reaction time, response time, and response appropriateness (safety margin) despite an apparent increase in the transition period between pedals. Various mechanisms to explain these effects are posited.
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