Multi-player online simulated driving game to improve hazard perception

Abstract

Young and inexperienced drivers are disproportionately involved in all car crashes. Although programs such as graduated driver licensing have reduced the fatality rates, they still remain unacceptably high for novice drivers as compared to older and experienced drivers. One of the most critical skills related to accident avoidance is the detection, recognition and reaction to traffic hazards, called hazard perception. There have been numerous attempts to improve novice drivers’ hazard perception skills through computer-based simulation programs. However, none of them had multi-user capability incorporating video commentaries by experts adapted to drivers’ mistakes except for a game-based, multi-user, online, simulated training (GMOST) program (Arslanyilmaz, Stillman, and Costello, 2014) developed to examine the effect of GMOST on hazard perception skills. In this pilot study, sample size was too small and duration of the experiment was too short for a significant result (Arslanyilmaz et al., 2014). In addition, the effects of video commentaries were not investigated. The first objective of this study is to showcase an improved version of GMOST. The second objective is to measure the effectiveness GMOST has on young drivers’ hazard perception skills, specifically on their ability to detect and respond to hazards as well as scanning the roads for potential hazards. The third objective is to examine the effects of video commentaries on hazard perception skills. The fourth objective is to explore and identify hazard types that are more affected by video commentaries, leading to better hazard perception skills.