Improving Situation Awareness in Partially Automated Vehicles: The Effectiveness of Redesigned Visual Signals

Visual signals that integrate situation awareness (SA) information can improve drivers’ performance when assuming control of a partially automated vehicle from a non-driving task. By incorporating information that follows the levels of model of SA, these signals enable drivers to more quickly attain higher levels of SA, potentially bypassing traditional sequential processing stages. We evaluated the effectiveness of such SA-enhanced signals (displayed in the instrument cluster) in a simulated driving study by measuring takeover times and collision occurrences. The results indicate that incorporating SA information about the environment significantly reduces the time needed for drivers to take control of the vehicle and results in fewer collisions. Considering these performance differences suggests insights on optimizing visual cues to quickly restore SA among drivers as they transition from non-driving activities to manual control in partially automated vehicles.