A simulator study to evaluate Emergency Alert Lighting system for truck mounted attenuators

A driving simulator study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of different Emergency Alert Lighting (EAL) system configurations used on MoDOT work vehicles. Two warning light colors (amber and white) in conjunction with modified horn timing (delay vs. no delay) were compared during daytime and nighttime scenarios. Participants were asked to drive a freeway scenario to observe whether the horn caused any unsafe reactions, then they drove eight different rural highway scenarios in which they encountered a mobile work zone immediately past a vertical crest. The simulator results suggested the alert system may improve driver reaction distances and minimum time-to-collision (TTC), but the differences between the configurations were not statistically significant. The airhorn did not elicit unsafe reactions such as sudden braking or swerving from any of the participants. The survey results showed that most drivers preferred yellow warning lights and that they felt the airhorn helped them be more aware of the work zone.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Missouri--Columbia

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Kang, Gyeongmin

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Sun, Carlos
• Adu-Gyamfi, Yaw

Language dc:language.iso

eng, English

DOI

https://doi.org/10.32469/10355/109730

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/109730