Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Awareness Messages for Road Traffic Hazards in Experimental Tests

Abstract

Advanced driver assistance systems, especially autonomous emergency braking and forward collision warnings, have become popular in Japan. To reduce the number of road traffic accidents, safety information should be provided to a driver earlier than avoidance or warning messages so as to avoid a risky situation. A series of actual running tests was conducted to evaluate the activation timing and effectiveness of awareness messages. Objective analysis showed that the drivers could avoid an obstacle with a sufficient safety margin thanks to any of the awareness messages. Subjective ratings showed that the best timing is 10 s before encountering the obstacle. The results of objective analysis are limited in the present paper, and further analyses are required.