Study of In-vehicle Technology for Increasing Motorcycle Conspicuity

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine whether adding in-vehicle technology to vehicles resulted in increased driver awareness of motorcycles. The specific technology tested consisted of a warning light which illuminated on the vehicle’s instrument panel when the vehicle was near a motorcycle. The effect of motorcycle color on driver awareness was also explored. Participants were recruited to drive a high-fidelity driving simulator in a city environment. Eye-tracker data was collected and used to determine how much attention drivers paid to the motorcycles in the simulation. Results showed that the in-vehicle technology significantly increased driver awareness of motorcycles, but the color of the motorcycles had no impact on driver awareness.