Effect of Driving Tendencies on Driving Characteristics in Cut-In and Emergency Braking Situations

The correlation between the driving tendencies and driving characteristics in dangerous driving situations was investigated. A human-in-the-loop experiments were conducted with a driving simulator; in the two simulated driving situations, the vehicle ahead did an emergency break, and another vehicle cut in, thereby forcing the participant to evade. A total of 52 drivers participated in the experiment. In the cut-in situation, aggressive drivers had a higher maximum longitudinal acceleration (MLOA), maximum brake pedal force (MBF) and maximum lateral acceleration (MLAA) than mild drivers; mild drivers changed the lane with a wider turning angle at the maximum steering wheel angle (MSA). Regarding the driving environment, the high-speed scenario showed a higher MBF, while the low-speed scenario showed a greater MSA. The interaction between the driving tendencies and driving environment led to significantly different MBFs and MLAAs. In the emergency braking situation, aggressive drivers showed a higher MLOA, MBF, and MLAA than mild drivers. Regarding the driving environment, the high-speed scenario exhibited a higher MBF, while the low-speed scenario showed a greater MSA. The experiment results confirm that the driving characteristics depend on the driving tendencies and driving environment. This correlation should be exploited to develop a driving mode based on the actual tendencies of the driver.