The Effectiveness of the Use of the Side View Camera in Reducing Accidents when Changing Lanes

摘要

This paper explains the effectiveness of camera images in reducing accidents when changing lanes. A Side View Camera shows images rearward and to the side that include the blind spots of side-view mirrors on an onboard display. The effectiveness of a rear-view camera for parking at low speed is well-known, but little has been verified on the effectiveness of the camera for changing lanes at high speed on a freeway. We used a driving simulator to verify the effectiveness of camera images to assist the driver to confirm safety. The simulator reproduces various dangerous scenes a driver may encounter when changing lanes in a freeway environment. The accident rate when drivers change lanes using common methods, such as the driver looking over his or her shoulder and checking the side-view mirror, were compared with the addition of images from the Side View Camera that offered the same view as the side-view mirror plus the blind spot displayed on an in-vehicle monitor. We found that using Side View Camera was more effective for reducing the accident rate when changing lanes than using side-view mirrors only.