This study investigated how the location of illuminated delineators affected the following, for drivers running under snowstorm conditions: driver subjective mental workload (SMWL), fluctuation of vehicle lateral position, and variation of driving speed. The experiment was conducted on a driving simulator. Thirty-six participants, aged 22 to 77 years, participated. The participants were exposed to four delineation conditions as the main independent variables: (1) no illuminated delineators (no delineation), (2) illuminated delineators at the shoulder (left-side delineation), (3) illuminated delineators at the median strip (right-side delineation), and (4) illuminated delineators on the left and right sides (both-sides delineation). The subjects drove in the simulator on a 4-km section of a four-lane expressway under snow-induced low-visibility for each run. SMWL was lower (i.e., less mental workload) for both-sides delineation than for left-side delineation or right-side delineation Fluctuation of vehicle lateral position and variation of driving speed were significantly better for both-sides delineation than for any of the other three delineation conditions.
Abstract