Although advanced driver warning systems can improve safety, inappropriate integration may increase driving complexity. This study investigates the effects of auditory alarm scheme, reliability, and collision event type on driver performance. The effect of a single master alarm system on driver response was compared with multiple, distinct warnings. Using a 2 x 2 x 4 mixed factorial design, the authors investigated the impact of two alarm schemes (master vs. individual) and two levels of alarm reliability (high and low) on distracted drivers' performance across four collision event types (frontal collision warnings, left and right lane departure warnings, and warnings for a fast-approaching following vehicle). Results showed that reaction times and accuracy rates were significantly affected by the type of collision event and alarm reliability. The use of individual alarms, rather than a single master alarm, did not significantly affect driving performance in terms of reaction time or response accuracy. Even though a master alarm is a relatively uninformative warning, it produced statistically no different reaction times or accuracy results when compared with auditory icons, some of which were spatially located. Unreliable alarms did negatively impact driver performance, regardless of event type or alarm scheme.
Abstract