Driver Behavior in Response to Forward Collision Warnings Considering Driving Context

Abstract

Forward collision warnings (FCW) are designed to warn drivers of potential collisions, but their effectiveness may vary based on driving conditions and driver responses. This study investigated driver behavior in response to real-world FCW alerts across various driving contexts with the aims of evaluating the prevalence and characteristics of FCW events, examining how often these events occur, their severity, and the contexts in which they happen. The current analysis considered driver responses to FCW events, including changes in vehicle kinematics, visual attention, and hand-on-wheel (HOW) behavior. Findings suggest that lower-severity FCWs are more common in local road contexts and associated with adjacent vehicles, while higher-severity FCWs were more frequent on highways and in the presence of lead vehicles. The study highlights the potential value of integrating additional contextual information into FCW systems to inform drivers better and reduce unnecessary alerts.