Improving drivers’ merging performance in work zone using an in-vehicle audio warning

Abstract

Work zone poses a great impact on traffic safety, and one of the important reasons is the increased merging behavior caused by lane closure. This study focuses on drivers’ lane-merging process in work zones, considering both individual driving behaviors and interaction risks with surrounding vehicles. An intelligent in-vehicle audio warning was proposed to improve the merging behaviors, and its efficacy was tested in a driving simulator experiment. Forty-two participants comprising 22 males (12 professional drivers vs. 10 non-professional drivers) and 20 females (10 professional drivers vs. 10 non-professional drivers) took part in the study. Five traffic density levels and five different locations to release the audio warning were set to collect the behavioral and trajectory data. The results showed the audio warning could reduce the merging risks evidently. However, its effectiveness was affected when the warning information was released too late. A high traffic density was associated with poor driver behavior and high merging risks. Male drivers were more likely to have interaction risks with the lead vehicles than female drivers. Professional drivers had more stable vehicle operating and lower merging risks during lane-merging than non-professional drivers. The research shed some lights on work-zone planning and management strategies.