Evaluation of driving performance while using the black spots warning system in clear and foggy conditions: A driving simulator study

Abstract

One of the factors causing traffic accidents is blackspots, which increases the possibility of accidents occurring due to the kind of path geometry. One of the ways of preventing accidents and increasing drivers' caution is to utilize technologies such as a hotspots warning system. In this study, the impact of this system on 5 hotspots have been examined on the drivers' performance in both clear and foggy weather. This research was performed on a simulator device on 40 drivers, including men and women. The warning system is an audio and visual kind so that a hotspot was shown in the path of the map on the system screen and the driver received an alarm. The range in this scenario includes prewarning, from a warning to the onset of hotspot, hotspot zone, and after-warning. The analyses were done with the SPSS software v. 20 and the significant level of tests was considered 0.05. The results indicated that, in general, a hotspot warning system affects the drivers' performance and this effect is observed in the variables including speed, steering angle, deceleration, and gas pedal performance. Also, the driver's performance was significant in both clear and foggy weather. These findings can be used for correcting the warning locations and using hotspots warning systems.