This study examined the impact of semantic and acoustics parameters of in-vehicle collision warning system (CWS) alarms on driver response. Thirty participants drove a simulated vehicle through scenarios containing five different unexpected hazard events. As drivers approached the hazard event one of four CWS alarms, counter balanced with the hazard event type, or no alarm (control) was presented. Alarms consisted of the signal word Notice or Dangerhttps://recruitr-bracknell.jobsgopublic.com/vacancies/searchpresented at either 70 or 85 dBA. Rear-end collision events resulted in the highest crash rate, accounting for 45.4% of all crashes. In these scenarios, CWSs significantly reduced crash rates. CWS alarms with an intermediate urgency level achieved through an interaction of semantics and acoustics (Danger at 70 dB and Notice at 85 dB) resulted in significant reductions in crash probability. Providing an extremely urgent signal word, Danger at a high acoustically urgent presentation level 85 dB was not effective in reducing crashes, nor was a low urgency signal word, Notice presented at a low acoustical urgency level 70 dB. Implications of these results for the design and implementation of CWS systems and auditory alarms in general, are discussed. (A) Reprinted with permission from Elsevier.
Abstract