Are situation awareness and decision-making in driving totally conscious processes? Results of a Hazard Prediction task

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Gugliotta, A., Ventsislavova, P. ORCID: 0000-0002-7095-8113, Garcia-Fernandez, P., Peña-Suárez, E., Eisman, E., Crundall, D. ORCID: 0000-0002-6030-3631 and Castro, C., 2017. Are situation awareness and decision-making in driving totally conscious processes? Results of a Hazard Prediction task. Transportation Research. Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 44, pp. 168-179. ISSN 1369-8478

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2016.11.005

Abstract

Detecting danger in the driving environment is an indispensable task to guarantee safety which depends on the driver's ability to predict upcoming hazards. But does correct prediction lead to an appropriate response? This study advances hazard perception research by investigating the link between successful prediction and response selection. Three groups of drivers (learners, novices and experienced drivers) were recruited, with novice and experienced drivers further split into offender and non-offender groups. Specifically, this works aims to develop an improved Spanish Hazard Prediction Test and to explore the differences in Situation Awareness, (SA: perception, comprehension and prediction) and Decision-Making ("DM") among learners, younger inexperienced and experienced drivers and between driving offenders and non-offenders. The contribution of the current work is not only theoretical; the Hazard Prediction Test is also a valid way to test Hazard Perception. The test, as well as being useful as part of the test for a driving license, could also serve a purpose in the renewal of licenses after a ban or as a way of training drivers. A sample of 121 participants watched a series of driving video clips that ended with a sudden occlusion prior to a hazard. They then answered questions to assess their SA ("What is the hazard?" "Where is it located?" "What happens next?") and "DM" ("What would you do in this situation?"). This alternative to the Hazard Perception Test demonstrates a satisfactory internal consistency (Alpha=0.750), with eleven videos achieving discrimination indices above 0.30. Learners performed significantly worse than experienced drivers when required to identify and locate the hazard. Interestingly, drivers were more accurate in answering the "DM" question than questions regarding SA, suggesting that drivers can choose an appropriate response manoeuvre without a totally conscious knowledge of the exact hazard.

Item Type:

Journal article

Publication Title:

Transportation Research. Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour

Creators:

Gugliotta, A., Ventsislavova, P., Garcia-Fernandez, P., Peña-Suárez, E., Eisman, E., Crundall, D. and Castro, C.

Publisher:

Pergamon Press

Date:

January 2017

Volume:

ISSN: