Drivers' avoidance strategies when using a Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system

Forward collision warning (FCW) systems help prevent rear-end collisions by identifying and alerting drivers of threats ahead. Understanding drivers' avoidance strategies i.e. the tendency to brake or steer is important for the design and effectiveness of these systems. A driving simulator study was performed across five US locations to examine three driver avoidance maneuvers: braking only, steering only and combined braking and steering. A log-linear analysis was used to investigate the likelihood of an avoidance maneuver given the driver characteristics (age, gender) and study location. Findings showed that drivers aged 40 years and older were more likely to use a combined braking and steering maneuver to avoid a rear-end collision. Drivers from two coastal urban areas (Washington, D.C. and Seattle, WA) were less likely to choose braking only in response to FCW alerts. Younger drivers and drivers that live in more rural areas (Clemson, SC and Iowa City, IA) were more likely to select braking only to avoid a crash, which could be due to their experience in less congested traffic environment. The findings of this study provide some insights on the factors associated with various avoidance strategies among drivers. This understanding can help guide the design of future in-vehicle collision warning systems.