Analysis of influence on driver behaviour while using in-vehicle traffic lights with application of head-up display

• Published in: IET intelligent transport systems Vol. 10; no. 5; pp. 347 - 353
• Main Authors: Yang, Bo, Zheng, Rencheng, Yin, Yuandong, Yamabe, Shigeyuki, Nakano, Kimihiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 01.06.2016
• Subjects: behavioural sciences computing; Devices; disruptive accelerating operation; disruptive braking operation; Driver behavior; driver behaviour; driver distraction; driver information systems; driving operations; driving simulator; eye‐gaze behaviour; Grounds; Head-up displays; head‐up display; In vehicle; Information dissemination; Intelligent transport systems; in‐vehicle devices; in‐vehicle traffic light information; Traffic signals; vehicular communication; in-vehicle traffic light information; head-up display; driving operations; disruptive accelerating operation; vehicular communication; eye-gaze behaviour; head-up displays; driver information systems; driver behaviour; disruptive braking operation; behavioural sciences computing; in-vehicle devices; driver distraction; driving simulator
• ISSN: 1751-956X; 1751-9578
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-its.2015.0179

Emerging vehicular communication makes it possible to provide traffic light information to drivers inside vehicles with the application of in-vehicle devices. However, the effect of this method on driver behaviour is still unclear, and there is concern that the application of in-vehicle traffic lights may result in driver distraction. This study proposed two modes of in-vehicle traffic lights to assist drivers: a ‘current’ mode providing real-time information of the upcoming ground traffic lights, and a ‘predicted’ mode offering predicted information regarding ground traffic lights, taking into account the time to arrival at the upcoming intersection. Two kinds of in-vehicle devices were compared for displaying in-vehicle traffic lights: a normal 4.3-inch display and a head-up display. A driving simulator experiment was executed for 11 subjects, and driver behaviour was evaluated for driving operations and eye-gaze behaviour. The results demonstrated that disruptive braking and accelerating operations were significantly reduced under the predicted mode, and glance time was significantly shorter for the head-up display than for the normal 4.3-inch display. The authors concluded that the predicted mode easily prompts drivers to ecological driving, and that the head-up display is reliable for providing in-vehicle traffic light information.