The fast development of all telematics devices to support or partially substitute a driver's task has also caused some concern for their possible detrimental effects on the safety of driving. This report summarizes the final results of a three-year research project. This project is aimed at the development of criteria to assess the road safety effects of various applications of Advanced Traffic Telematics (ATT) systems intended to support the driver. A general conclusion is, that current knowledge on this subject is not yet sufficient to provide a comprehensive set of checks. This has resulted in the following compromise for the testing procedure: (1) A checklist for safety characteristics of telematics devices is proposed based upon known safety aspects of task load changes: overload and underload. This checklist can be employed by non-scientists to provide a first screening of unsafe characteristics; and (2) a laboratory test has been developed that uses an ordinary Personal Computer. The test emulates a simplified driving task, and can accommodate a functional simulacrum of a telematics device. The user is also provided with a set of criteria to produce an assessment of the safety effects. The test can also be used by non-experts. Recognising that field testing will still often be necessary, guidelines and criteria for the design of these tests are formulated. (A) See also IRRD 892117 and 897977.
Abstract