The DRIVE-SAFE project: signal processing and advanced information technologies for improving driving prudence and accidents

In this paper, we will talk about the Drivesafe project whose aim is creating conditions for prudent driving on highways and roadways with the purposes of reducing accidents caused by driver behavior. To achieve these primary goals, critical data is being collected from multimodal sensors (such as cameras, microphones, and other sensors) to build a unique databank on driver behavior. We are developing system and technologies for analyzing the data and automatically determining potentially dangerous situations (such as driver fatigue, distraction, etc.). Based on the findings from these studies, we will propose systems for warning the drivers and taking other precautionary measures to avoid accidents once a dangerous situation is detected. In order to address these issues a national consortium has been formed including Automotive Research Center (OTAM), Koç University, Istanbul Technical University, Sabancı University, Ford A.S., Renault A.S., and Fiat A. Ş

Inattention and Uncertainty in the Predictive Brain

Negative effects of inattention on task performance can be seen in many contexts of society and human behavior, such as traffic, work, and sports. In traffic, inattention is one of the most frequently cited causal factors in accidents. In order to identify inattention and mitigate its negative effects, there is a need for quantifying attentional demands of dynamic tasks, with a credible basis in cognitive modeling and neuroscience. Recent developments in cognitive science have led to theories of cognition suggesting that brains are an advanced prediction engine. The function of this prediction engine is to support perception and action by continuously matching incoming sensory input with top-down predictions of the input, generated by hierarchical models of the statistical regularities and causal relationships in the world. Based on the capacity of this predictive processing framework to explain various mental phenomena and neural data, we suggest it also provides a plausible theoretical and neural basis for modeling attentional demand and attentional capacity “in the wild” in terms of uncertainty and prediction error. We outline a predictive processing approach to the study of attentional demand and inattention in driving, based on neurologically-inspired theories of uncertainty processing and experimental research combining brain imaging, visual occlusion and computational modeling. A proper understanding of uncertainty processing would enable comparison of driver's uncertainty to a normative level of appropriate uncertainty, and thereby improve definition and detection of inattentive driving. This is the necessary first step toward applications such as attention monitoring systems for conventional and semi-automated driving.Peer reviewe

A Bayesian reference model for visual time-sharing behaviour in manual and automated naturalistic driving

Visual time-sharing (VTS) behavior characterizes an inattentive driver. Because inattention has been identified as the major contributing factor in traffic crashes, understanding the relation between VTS and crash risk could help reduce crash risk through the development of inattention countermeasures. The aims of this study are 1) to develop a reference model of VTS behavior and 2) reveal if vehicle automation influences VTS behavior. The reference model was based on naturalistic eye-tracking data. VTS sequences were extracted from routine driving data (including manual and automated driving). We used Bayesian Generalized Linear Mixed Models for a range of on- and off-path glance-based metrics. Each parameter was estimated with a probability distribution and summarized with credible intervals containing the model parameters with 95% probability. The reference model corroborates previous findings from driving simulator experiments and on-road studies, but also captures the characteristics of on-path and off-path glance behavior in greater detail. The model demonstrated that 1) there was minimal change in VTS behavior due to automation, and 2) the percentage of time that glances fell on-path (PRC) was greater for all routine driving (~80%) than for VTS sequences (~50%). The PRC was the only metric that was sensitive to VTS, but it did not differentiate between manual and automated driving. Our model, by describing a measure of inattention (VTS behavior), can be used in future driver models to improve the computer simulations used to design ADASs and evaluate their safety benefits. Additionally, the model could serve as a detailed reference for inattention guidelines

Measurement invariance of the driving inattention scale (ARDES) across 7 countries

The Attention-Related Driving Errors Scale (ARDES) is a self-report measure of individual differences in driving inattention. ARDES was originally developed in Spanish (Argentina), and later adapted to other countries and languages. Evidence supporting the reliability and validity of ARDES scores has been obtained in various different countries. However, no study has been conducted to specifically examine the measurement invariance of ARDES measures across countries, thus limiting their comparability. Can different language versions of ARDES provide comparable measures across countries with different traffic regulations and cultural norms? To what extent might cultural differences prevent researchers from making valid inferences based on ARDES measures? Using Alignment Analysis, the present study assessed the approximate invariance of ARDES measures in seven countries: Argentina (n = 603), Australia (n = 378), Brazil (n = 220), China (n = 308). Spain (n = 310), UK (n = 298), and USA (n = 278). The three-factor structure of ARDES scores (differentiating driving errors occurring at Navigation, Manoeuvring and Control levels) was used as the target theoretical model. A fixed alignment analysis was conducted to examine approximate measurement invariance. 12.3 % of the intercepts and 0.8 % of the item-factor loadings were identified as non-invariant, averaging 8.6 % of non-invariance. Despite substantial differences among the countries, sample recruitment or representativeness, study results support resorting to ARDES measures to make comparisons across the country samples. Thus, the range of cultures, laws and collision risk across these 7 countries provides a demanding assessment for a cultural-free inattention while-driving. The alignment analysis results suggest that ARDES measures reach near equivalence among the countries in the study. We hope this study will serve as a basis for future cross-cultural research on driving inattention using ARDES.Grant MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033State Research Agency (SRA) (MCIN/AEI/) (PID2020-113978RB-I00 and PDC2021-12944-I00)Spain and European Regional Fund “ERDF” A way of making Europe"European Union” or by the “European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR”Junta de Andalucía I + D + I Programa Operativo FEDER Andalucía (P20_00338, A-SEJ-114-UGR20 and PYC20 RE 022 UGR)Plan Nacional de Drogas (Ministerio de Sanidad) PND-020-019Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada / CBU