The effect of ambient lighting combined with EVA warning on driver reaction

Abstract: Emergency vehicles are at increased traffic risk due to legal exemptions like speeding or running red lights during emergencies. These exemptions can cause delays and complications in their response. The study explored if warning messages to passenger car drivers, particularly the EVA (Emergency Vehicle Approaching) message, with or without ambient lighting, could improve safety and response. A driving simulator experiment with 60 participants tested the impact of different levels of warning, including the EVA message and augmented ambient lighting (AEL). Participants also completed pre- and post-experiment questionnaires. The test involved a rural road scenario with background music to challenge emergency vehicle detection. Results showed significant behavioural differences between drivers receiving no warning and those receiving either form of warning, but no significant difference between the two warned groups. While attitudes towards this technology were positive, further research on the effectiveness of ambient lighting is needed.