University of Massachusetts researchers received the 2010 Liberty Mutual Award for their scientific paper “Can Younger Drivers Be Trained to Scan for Information That Will Reduce Their Risk in Roadway Traffic Scenarios That Are Hard to Identify as Hazardous?”
The paper, published in Ergonomics (Vol52, No6, June 2009), discusses a scientific investigation aimed to reduce the risk of vehicle crashes for younger drivers aged 18-21 years. The winning study aimed to develop and evaluate a PC-based training program that would help younger drivers better anticipate potential hazards on the open road. “Younger drivers are over-involved in crashes,” states co-author Dr Fisher, Director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts.
“We determined in previous research that a major reason for this over-involvement is their failure to scan areas of the roadway for information about potential risks in hazardous situations,” he explains. “In this study, we wanted to determine if a PC-based, one-hour training program would increase the likelihood that younger drivers anticipated hazards; not only on a driving simulator, but also out on the open road.” Twenty four younger drivers participated in the study.
Prior to any on road driving, half of the drivers participated in a Risk Awareness and Perception Training (RAPT) program, developed at the University. The PC-based training program contains nine driving scenarios with a potential risk of a collision with another vehicle or pedestrian. The remaining 12 drivers did not participate in the training. Following the training, researchers measured the eye movements each of the participants, as they drove a vehicle for 16 miles on local residential, feeder, and arterial roads. The researchers had identified areas of the drive that contained potential hazards that were both similar (near transfer) and dissimilar (far transfer) to those in the RAPT program. For safety purposes, the vehicles used for the investigation were equipped with a secondary braking system. A certified driving instructor sat in the passenger seat of the car and could operate and the secondary braking system if necessary.
From the data obtained from the experiment, the researchers found that the trained drivers were significantly more likely to gaze at areas of the roadway that contained information relevant to the reduction of risks (64.4%) than were the untrained drivers (37.4%). Importantly, the findings revealed large and significant training effects even in situations on the road that were quite different from those shown in training (far transfer). “Our findings provide some of the first solid evidence that younger teen drivers can increase hazard anticipation behaviours in an actual driving situation with very little training,” says Fisher. “It remains to be seen whether the increase in safety related behaviours observed immediately after training lasts for an extended period of time, and more importantly, whether it actually leads to a reduction in crashes. We hope to expand upon our research in this area.” He continues, “It is a real honour to receive this award and be recognised for our research. We hope that in some small way this award speeds us towards the day when our teen drivers are less involved in crashes and fatalities.”
The winning researchers from the University of Massachusetts include Anuj K Pradhan, PhD, and Donald L Fisher, PhD, of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering; Alexander Pollatsek, PhD, of the Department of Psychology; and Michael Knodler, PhD, of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
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