| Driving is by nature interactive. As traffic density increases, drivers will experience more interaction situations, with a greater need to react and adapt to other road users. Road transportation is facing a changing era due to new technology. Connected Vehicles and Automatic Vehicles are the new trend and the most probable choice in future transportation. Though these technologies will change the transportation mode, the human being will not be removed from the heart of the transportation system. However, the role of humans and the way they interact with vehicles and other road users will be redefined. Therefore, from both a human-centered and technology-driven perspective, there is a growing demand for understanding driving behavior and analyzing road user interactions, and for a new methodology to help detect the major effects of these technologies for road user safety.;This dissertation proposes a new framework for conducting controlled driving behavior studies based on a networked multi-driver simulation platform. This new simulation system can conduct specific single-driver behavior experiments, and can also engage multiple drivers in a common virtual environment, reproducing real-life interaction scenarios. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this framework, various traffic scenarios were created in the driving simulation platform to conduct studies on elderly and teenage drivers, as well as bicyclists. Results show how different road users react in a particular manner to traffic scenarios and road hazards. A survey asking for opinions on connected vehicle technology and how it can improve specific driving situations was conducted. Public feedback directed attention towards driver distraction and front collision hazards. A four-driver platoon was used to explore how distracted driving affects other drivers, as well as how the designed forward collision warning system influences driver behavior on individual and group levels. The presented work showcases the effectiveness of a robust driving simulation system and how it can serve as a valuable tool for simultaneously investigating multiple drivers, as well as their interactions and mutual influences, especially under safety critical situations. The work presented can pave the way for developing a fully connected Driver-Vehicle-Environments and exploring the human factors related roles in Connected Vehicle technologies. |
