Effects of an aftermarket crash avoidance system on warning rates and driver acceptance in urban and rural environments

2019

Collision warning systems reduce crashes. They may improve habits, if individuals avoid behaviors that trigger alerts. When paired with telematics, individuals may change behavior over concern about monitoring. Mobileye-630 aftermarket systems with multiple crash avoidance warnings were installed in 21 privately owned vehicles and telematics were installed in 15 of the 21. Warning rates were generated during 4-week baseline and 8-week treatment periods. Rates for three warning systems (forward collision warning, lane departure warning, headway monitoring) decreased by 30 to 70%. Rates were significantly lower for rural compared with urban drivers. Speeding behavior during treatment was similar to baseline. In a survey of participants, 62% agreed that Mobileye helped improve their safety while driving. Many drivers stated preferences for less conservative warning thresholds.