Simulator training with a forward collision warning system: effects on driver-system interactions and driver trust.

Objective: The study addressed the role of familiarization on a driving simulator with a forward collision warning (FCW) and investigated its impact on driver behavior.

Background: Drivers need a good understanding of how an FCW system functions to trust it and use it properly. Theoretical and empirical data suggest that exploring the capacities and limitations of the FCW during the learning period improves operating knowledge and leads to increased driver trust in the system and better driver-system interactions.

Statistical analysis of "looked-but-failed-to-see" accidents: highlighting the involvement of two distinct mechanisms.

Circumstances where "looked-but-failed-to-see" accidents arise are a particular subject of study. In order to better understand why normal drivers could miss a relevant event signaling danger, more than 500 accidents were analyzed in-depth with regard to driver-environment-goal interactions. Results show four typical situations that imply two distinct mechanisms.