VEHICLE–PEDESTRIAN INTERACTIONS INTO AND OUTSIDE OF CROSSWALKS: EFFECTS OF DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS

Bella, Francesco; Silvestri, Manuel · 2021 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3846/transport.2021.14739

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Summary

This study investigates driver behavior during vehicle–pedestrian interactions at legal (zebra crossing) and illegal (jaywalking) crossings, specifically evaluating the effectiveness of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) providing auditory or visual alerts. Motivated by high pedestrian fatality rates and the increased risk associated with jaywalking, the research aims to determine how these warning systems influence driver yielding maneuvers and interaction criticality. The researchers conducted a multi-factorial experiment using a fixed-base driving simulator at Roma Tre University. Forty-two participants (21 males, 21 females) with valid driving licenses experienced two urban road scenarios, each containing three pedestrian crossing events randomized across conditions: legal vs. illegal crossing and no ADAS, visual warning, or auditory warning. The pedestrian began crossing when the vehicle was 55.6 meters from the conflict point. Data were collected from the last 150 meters of approach, focusing on two key metrics: Time-To-Arrive (TTA), which measures interaction criticality, and Speed Reduction Time (SRT), which indicates the smoothness of the yielding maneuver. Two participants were excluded due to simulator sickness, leaving 40 drivers for analysis. The results demonstrated that illegal crossings were significantly more critical than legal ones. Drivers exhibited lower TTA values and shorter SRTs during jaywalking events, indicating later detection and more abrupt braking maneuvers. Consequently, the highest number of collisions occurred during illegal crossings without ADAS support. While both auditory and visual ADAS alerts showed positive trends by reducing interaction criticality and smoothing yielding maneuvers, these effects were not statistically significant in the overall ANOVA. However, subgroup analysis revealed that ADAS positively affected "average cautious" drivers. In contrast, "aggressive" drivers ignored the warnings, while "very cautious" drivers had already adjusted their behavior before the alarms triggered, rendering the systems ineffective for these extremes. Post-experiment questionnaires indicated a clear participant preference for auditory warnings, likely due to the distinct physical stimuli they provide. The study concludes that illegal pedestrian crossings induce critical driving behaviors and higher collision risks, underscoring the need for adequate pedestrian infrastructure to minimize jaywalking. While ADAS systems offer potential benefits for moderate drivers by facilitating smoother responses, their effectiveness is limited by individual driver characteristics. The findings suggest that auditory warnings may be more effective or preferred by drivers, though further research is needed to optimize system design for diverse user profiles.

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Topics

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• pedestrian behavior perception
• driver vru interaction
• rail grade crossings
• vru facing ehmi