Effectiveness of Augmented Reality Warnings on Driving Performance While Approaching Pedestrian Crossings: a Driving Simulator Study

In this paper, the potentiality of Augmented Reality technology in improving the safety of pedestrian crossings was tested, by providing a driver approaching a zebra crossing area with virtual information. To achieve this objective, a driving simulator study was carried out. The effectiveness of the system was tested, and the resulting outcomes of the developed simulation tests, with and without AR warnings to inform the driver of a pedestrian crossing the roadway ahead, were compared. Specifically, AR warnings were tested under two different cases: a visible pedestrian who is crossing the roadway and a non-visible pedestrian, as a result of some obstacles, who is about to cross the roadway. Two different virtual warnings were tested in both cases, on a sample of forty-six participants: a red flashing arrow above the pedestrian and the same visual warning but with an additional sound warning system. The effects of the AR warnings were investigated by comparing the driving performance (decelerations, speeds, and distances) and the surrogate measures of safety (Time-to-Collision, TTC and Time-to-Zebra, TTZ) with those recorded under the baseline condition (without AR warnings). Positive effects of AR were observed. Specifically, when AR warnings were activated, the drivers started to decelerate well ahead of the pedestrian crossing, with a low deceleration rate and long TTC and TTZ. This study confirmed the great benefits that AR and connected vehicle technologies could bring to the general safety conditions on the road network, especially under risky situations and difficult maneuvers. The driving simulator is surely an effective solution for investigating and evaluating such technologies, as well as studying their impacts on the driving performance.