Research on the Technology for Improving Safe Awareness Based on Driving Simulator

Statistical data shows that a driver who was lack of the ability to discover potential risk situation and safe driving awareness was more probably to cause an accident. The safe driving awareness was considered as a factor in contributing to vehicle crashes. In this study, a creative method to improve safety awareness based on driving simulator was proposed. Firstly, the definition and classification of safety driving awareness was analyzed. Second, the procedure for drivers appropriately control vehicle to response to risk situation was discussed. The compositions, characteristic parameters, trigger condition and implements mode of risk situation were all designed and then implemented to generate a virtual driving scenario according to characteristic of simulation driving. Finally, one experimental group of 10 middle-aged participants were subject to driver training and driving skills were constantly assessed and corrected to ensure effective vehicle handling and control for evasive driving. The results indicated that the participants reduced their speed sooner when approaching hazards, and braked earlier than untrained drivers. Meanwhile the improvement of safe driving awareness is found for all the participants after hands-on practice in lifelike simulation scenarios. Therefore, the simulator is a valuable tool for drivers statewide to develop a conditioned response to a given risky situation and to improve the safety driving awareness.