A Driving Simulator Study for Assessing the Potential of Augmented Reality Technology to Improve the Safety of Passing Maneuvers

An important safety issue on two-lane rural roads relates to crashes involving passing maneuvers, where one vehicle attempts to pass a slower vehicle traveling ahead in the same direction. An overtaking involves a complex decision-making process, as drivers must wait for an adequate gap on oncoming traffic to safely complete a passing maneuver; in this context, an incorrect gap’s assessment can lead to severe head-on crashes. The application of in-vehicle Augmented Reality (AR) technology could optimize the driver’s visual attention, providing new and additional visual feedback to improve the driver’ perception and decision-making process. This study has focused on a novel AR application aimed at improving the safety of passing maneuvers by means of different AR video and audio warnings. A driving simulator study was carried out to test the effectiveness of the proposed AR system and to assess the potential of drivers to select adequate gaps within the oncoming traffic and to safely perform the passing maneuver either with and without the AR warnings. Significant positive effects of AR warnings on traffic safety and operation were observed, thereby demonstrating the several benefits brought about by the integration of AR and connected vehicles technologies.