Study on elderly drivers' characteristics when using human interfaces of narrow road driving assistance system

• Published in: Ningen kogaku. The Japanese journal of ergonomics Vol. 40; no. 1; pp. 1 - 11
• Main Authors: KAWASHIMA, Hironao, DAIMON, Tatsuru, SATO, Toshihisa, KINOSHITA, Masahiro, IKEDA, Atsushi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Ergonomics Society 2004
• ISSN: 0549-4974; 1884-2844
• DOI: 10.5100/jje.40.1

The performances of elderly drivers when using narrow road driving assistance systems were compared with those of young drivers in terms of driving behavior, eye movement and subjective evaluation. In the experiment utilizing a driving simulator, the subjects were required to pass along a narrow road which consisted of two parked vehicles and eight telegraph poles. The assistance systems were designed to provide the subjects with two types of interfaces: one system shows the relation among the driver's vehicle, the obstacles and a recommended route on an in-vehicle display and another system shows the information as to the recommended steering operations for driving along the recommended route on a head-up display in addition to the information on the in-vehicle display. The results imply that elderly drivers could not benefit from the information on the in-vehicle display while driving along the narrow road because of deterioration of visual functions and cognitive overload. However, when the system showing the information as to the recommended steering operations on the head-up display in addition to the information shown on the in-vehicle display was used, the elderly drivers could benefit from the assistance information because the visual strategy and the drivers' cognitive process were improved.