Lane Change Warning Design Guidelines

Abstract

Five design guidelines were created to aid in the development of lane change crash avoidance systems (LCAS), using on-road data. In preparation for guideline development, field data were used to characterize a sample of lane changes and baseline (straight-ahead) driving events. Analysis of lane change frequency and duration, as well as turn signal use and eye glance movements revealed unique patterns among drivers and conditions. The “vehicle + signal” predictive logistic regression model is recommended, taking advantage of distance, time-to-collision (TTC), and turn signal data. Design guidelines as the basis for LCAS development were: 1) Warning levels should include presence detection and imminent warnings; 2) Display modality should be visual displays for presence detection and auditory/tactile displays for imminent warnings; 3) Display location (visual) should include forward and mirror locations; 4) Predictive warning algorithms should include TTC, distance, brake and turn signal use, eye behavior, lane position, side object information, and acceleration; 5) In terms of system integration, LCAS should be designed in the context of other in-vehicle systems to maximize effectiveness and safety. Prior to implementation, testing is strongly recommended regarding warning levels, display location, warning format, predictive algorithms, and alarm rates.