The Role of ADAS While Driving in Complex Road Contexts: Support or Overload for Drivers?

Abstract

The possibility of using some warnings inside modern vehicles should be an aid to driving activity. However, the information transferred to users is not always received in the expected way due to the variability and complexity of the road environment. This study, therefore, aims to identify a procedure that allows to ascertain whether drivers receive the data in an appropriate way even during particular maneuvers, such as passing cyclists on a winding road or, on the contrary, if they represent an unnecessary overload. To answer this question, an experimentation in a simulated environment was set up for recording the drivers’ visual behavior in both the presence and absence of a driving aid device (On-Board Unit, OBU). The results show that, in some situations, the information provided by the OBU helps to maintain a more virtuous driving behavior but, in the most complex ones, drivers acquire information from a smaller number of sources, excluding the aid devices inside the cockpit. This procedure is useful for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) designers to refine these instruments, but also for road managers who can improve safety by inserting appropriate signs or speed limits.

“Cyclist at 12 o’clock!”: a systematic review of in-vehicle advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for preventing car-rider crashes

“…A positive effect of familiarity with the ADAS system on driver behavior has also been evidenced. This variable contributes to a more intuitive interaction with the system, and, consequently, decreases the probability of making errors or infractions in vehicle operation ( 79 ). This finding is congruent with previous literature.…”

“…In relation to the road environment, some of the articles included in this review also point out that the complexity of the scenario plays a fundamental role in the degree of usefulness and effectiveness of ADAS systems. Bosurgi et al ( 79 ) point out that it is difficult to determine quantitatively and in general terms the effectiveness of these driving aids. In this sense, they point out that in many road situations, the information transmitted to the driver by an onboard ADAS system enhances the maintenance of adequate behavior and an improvement in driving performance.…”

Drivers’ Steering Behavior in Curve by Means of New Indicators

“…Advances in low-cost sensors and the computing capabilities of microprocessors have simplified workload measures, which can be classified into three broad categories: subjective measurements (e.g., questionnaires for users [3,4]), physiological measurements (e.g., fixations, pupil dilation, dermal conductivity, heart rate [5][6][7][8]) and performance measurements. There is some overlap between them; for example, electroencephalography (EEG) can be used both as a physiological measurement and also as a subjective measure of workload.…”

The Effects of ADAS on Driving Behavior: A Case Study

“…Regarding the device to be tested, its modifications could be considered if the results are not satisfactory. If the critical issues do not concern the device but the infrastructure, then the road manager will have to make the necessary corrections to the road context or insert road traffic restrictions [ 28 ].…”