Impact of an In-Vehicle Audio Prompt on Multistage Lane-Changing Behavior and Gaze Patterns in Work Zone

Introduction: Lane changing poses a great threat to traffic safety in the work zone areas. This study aims to conduct an in-depth investigation of drivers’ lane-changing behavior and to propose and verify the efficacy of an intelligent in-vehicle audio prompt through a driving simulator experiment. Method: Forty-two participants, comprising 22 males (12 professional drivers and 10 normal drivers) and 20 females (10 professional drivers and 10 normal drivers), took part in the study. Three traffic density levels (20pcu/km, 40pcu/km, and 60pcu/km) and five locations (baseline, 250m, 500m, 750m, and 1000m) to release the audio prompt information were set to collect eye movement and driving behavior data. A multistage lane-changing process including the perception stage, preparation stage, and action stage was developed, and three types of variables, namely experiment variable, behavioral variable, and risk assessment variable, were defined. Results: The results indicated that the audio prompt set at 500m, 750m, and 1000m could noticeably improve lane-changing behavior (i.e., triggering lane changes more in advance and providing drivers with more preparation time). However, the audio prompt set at 250m upstream of the work zone showed limited efficacy, which is not recommended in practical application. Male drivers and professional drivers performed better during lane changing, and they had a more active observation of the surrounding environment and tended to adopt safer vehicle operations than their counterparts. Practical Applications: A high traffic density could increase the collision risks even if drivers had made sufficient preparations, while in low traffic density conditions, drivers who failed to change lanes tended to apply hard braking when they approached the work zone.