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Objective: The objective of this research is to investigate the impacts of drivers' demographic factors on speed patterns in response to a smartphone based warning message, while driving through the advance warning area of a work zone. Methodology:A smartphone application was developed using Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) App Inventor 2, which was used to provide test drivers with a warming message on traffic control and incident awareness. Twenty-four subjects with different demographic features (different gender, age, education background, and driving experience) were recruited to drive through an advance warning area of a work zone twice in two scenarios (with and without the warning message). The advance warning area was divided into three segments for the convenience of analysing the significant difference in subjects' reactions to the warning messages and the static traffic control signs, in terms of speed patterns. Findings:Under a traditional traffic control, drivers' driving speed patterns were not significantly sensitive to the four studied socio-demographic features; but their mean driving speeds and speed variance were noticeable higher than in the situation with an audio warning message. When the smartphone-based messages were provided, drivers drove noticeably slower within the work zone, and the variance became narrower in the most studies of sociodemographic features. Experienced drivers and highly educated drivers drove significantly slower after receiving a warning message from the second and third segment (AWM 2 and 3). Conclusion:The smartphone-based warning messages were able to help drivers to control their driving speed better for cautious driving in a work zone area, especially for the experienced and highly educated drivers driving through a merging area and an activity area of workers.

A smartphone warning system is a feasible option to notify motorists about a safety threat and/or pedestrian crossings ahead. In this paper, a smartphone-based warning system was proposed to enhance workers' safety in work zones. Three different warning message systems, including sound, male voice and female voice, were designed to alert drivers. Twenty-four subjects were recruited for a total of ninety-six rounds driving simulator test in a work zone to investigate the impacts of smartphone-based warning messages on subjects' driving performance, in terms of driving speed, speed variation, acceleration, and brake reaction distance. The outcome showed that, with the assistance of the sound and voice (either female or male) warning messages, drivers could effectively reduce their accelerations and speeds. Meanwhile, such a warning system can induce subjects to shorten their brake reaction distances for worker crossings. All participants found that this warning system is applicable to enhance their defensive driving behaviors while driving through a work zone.