Evaluation of collision avoidance prototype head-up display interface for older drivers

Abstract

Spatial and situational awareness could be decreased significantly under low visibility and adverse weather conditions. This could affect exponentially the reactions of the older drivers and increase dramatically their collision probability. To this end we developed a novel Head-Up Display interface that aims to reinstate the drivers' vision which is predominantly hindered under these conditions. In particular the proposed interface entails symbolic representations of the lead vehicles and crucial road information, which effectively enhances driver's vision. The proposed system was evaluated through a comparative study against the typical instrumentation panel. The evaluation results were overall in favour of the prototype interface which improved significantly the reaction times of the older drivers and decreased the collision occurrences. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.