Open AccessEvaluation of the effects of in‐vehicle traffic lights on driving performances for unsignalised intersections
Author(s) -
Yang Bo,
Zheng Rencheng,
Shimono Keisuke,
Kaizuka Tsutomu,
Nakano Kimihiko
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
iet intelligent transport systems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.579
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1751-9578
pISSN - 1751-956X
DOI - 10.1049/iet-its.2016.0084
Subject(s) - distraction , brake , gaze , traffic conflict , simulation , automotive engineering , transport engineering , driving simulator , traffic bottleneck , computer science , engineering , traffic congestion , traffic optimization , computer vision , floating car data , psychology , neuroscience
Ground traffic lights are essential for maintaining traffic efficiency and safety at intersections. However, unsignallised intersections are still frequent in actual traffic environments. With the development of new forms of vehicular communication, in‐vehicle traffic lights can assist drivers at unsignallised intersections. The authors proposed two types of in‐vehicle traffic lights to assist drivers; these corresponded to two‐way and all‐way stop‐controlled intersections. They adopted gap acceptance theory and a first‐come‐first‐served strategy to determine passing priority for the two types of intersections, respectively. They then conducted a driving simulator experiment involving 23 participants, to investigate driver behaviours elicited by the proposed system. They prepared four experimental conditions with combinations of in‐vehicle traffic lights and auditory warnings. The authors’ experimental results indicated that in‐vehicle traffic lights were associated with significantly longer post‐encroachment times and a significantly shorter maximum brake stroke. In terms of eye‐gaze behaviours, the percentage of gaze concentration to the road centre area and mean glance durations were deemed acceptable for the avoidance of visual distraction, when in‐vehicle traffic lights were presented via a head‐up display. Therefore, their analysis of driver behaviours indicates that in‐vehicle traffic lights can effectively provide driver assistance at unsignallised intersections.