An Evaluation of the Safety, Utility, and Reliability of Three-Dimensional Alarm Systems for Automotive Use

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Abstract
As roadways become more congested, automobile manufacturers are designing collision avoidance warning systems to increase safety; yet, there has been little investigation of alarm reliability and spatial signal location. This study focused on measuring driving and alarm reaction performances to spatial and console emitted alarms of various reliability levels. Seventy participants operated a driving simulator while being presented with alarms. From previous research (Breznitz 1983; Bliss 1993), it was expected that drivers would perform better following reliable alarms than unreliable alarms. It was also expected that drivers would perform better following spatial alarms than central alarms. Results indicated that drivers avoided collisions better following spatial alarms, but made more appropriate driving reactions following console-generated alarms. Alarm response frequency and driving reaction appropriateness was higher for reliable alarms. These results suggest that alarm designers should strive to maximize alarm reliability, and that spatial alarms may potentially reduce collision rates.

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