Poster Session 1 Summaries
Please
note: Some
summaries have been edited for space and clarity. The conference proceedings
will contain complete abstracts and papers.
(1)
Driver
Behaviour Studies in the Motorway Operations Platform Grant Mark Brackstone, Mike McDonald (University of Southampton ¾ UK)
This
paper will report on a four-year project being undertaken in the U.K., which
intends to address the causative mechanisms of motorway congestion, and how
these may be overcome by the use of in-vehicle Intelligent Transport Systems
(ITS). The project comprises five studies, two focussing on driver behaviour
and performance, and three on microscopic simulation and road operations. This
paper will provide an overview of progress made and work in progress in the
former of these topics, in particular: Phase
1: an instrumented vehicle study collecting microscopic time series on how
drivers behave in slow moving dense traffic. An overview of results from this
phase will be presented. Phase 2: to be initiated in late 2001, looks to
examine how drivers behave when faced with the requirement for an emergency
deceleration. The study will use a combination of a surrogate vehicle/test
track approach and a fixed base driving simulator study, in order to examine
the advantages of the differing methodologies and (if validity is proven) to
increase database size. A brief review will be given of the intended use of
outputs from these studies in subsequent simulation modelling studies to be
undertaken in future years.
(2)
The
Use of a Multi-modal Interface to Integrate In-Vehicle Information Presentation
David Wheatley, Joshua
Hurwitz (Motorola Labs ¾ USA)
The car of the future will have many new
information sources—including telematics systems, navigation systems and
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)—that will compete for a
driver’s limited cognitive attention. If they are implemented as
completely separate systems then cognitive overload and driver distraction are
inevitable outcomes. However, if they are implemented as an integrated
intelligent system with a multi-modal interface, then the benefits of such
functionality will be achieved with much less impact on driving safety. Such a system will support the task of
safe driving by filtering and mediating information in response to real-world
driving demands. This paper
outlines the Human Factors research program being undertaken by Motorola Labs
to evaluate key elements of such a multi-modal interface as well as the key
human factors issues involved in a multi-modal interface.
(3)
Performance
on Cue Recognition and Evasive Action Skills as Predictors of Effective Driving
in College-Age Drivers
Dong-Yuan Debbie Wang
(Purdue
University ¾ USA),
David F. Pick (Purdue University Calumet ¾ USA), Robert W. Proctor
(Purdue University ¾ USA)
Two experiments compared self-reported driving
effectiveness of licensed drivers (mean age 19 years) to their performance on
two simulated driving tasks. For
both experiments, drivers first completed a driving history questionnaire. In Experiment 1, they then performed
Cue Recognition, which uses stationary line drawings of vehicles as stimuli and
requires a turning or braking response to an appropriate stimulus. Males
responded faster than females, especially for the most complex choice
responses, and reported more tickets. Drivers reporting no tickets responded
slower than those reporting at least one ticket, and they reported fewer
accidents. In Experiment 2, drivers also performed Evasive Action Skills, which
uses more realistic recorded driving scenarios in which the appearance of a
hazard is the imperative stimulus that commands the appropriate turn or brake
response. Number of errors on Evasive Action Skills correlated significantly
with number of self-reported accidents. Response times on Cue Recognition and
Evasive Action Skills were correlated, but there was no relation between
response times on Cue Recognition and errors on Evasive Action Skills. However,
a comparison of the 10 fastest and 10 slowest drivers on Cue Recognition showed
that the fastest responders committed significantly more errors on Evasive
Action Skills than did the slowest responders. The data in both experiments
reflect a speed-accuracy tradeoff.
(4)
BEI's
Driver Skill Enhancement Program (D-SEP): Brief Review of Experimental
Mini-Program and Conclusions Seymour M. Bogdonoff
(Princeton University ¾ USA)
BEI has developed a Drivers Skill Enhancement
Program (D-SEP). Many of the
elements of this program have been verified through a
“mini-program” (two days, 20 clients). It is known that driving is
a combination of skills: visual, cognitive and physical. The D-SEP program adds
the following items: the driver, in their car. P+A=a good driver. P is Preparation:
what drivers in their cars can actually do. A is Anticipation: the
visual-cognitive process that buys time to carry out the physical activities
involved in making a car perform. Training and practice will, in most cases,
considerably enhance the skills required for driving. Details of the
mini-program and the full program are included in the paper. The study found
that most drivers in the program had never practiced with ABS. The
“stationary car” review was included as a “quick
introduction.” The author found that drivers performed quite differently
with the instructor in the car versus their practice sessions alone. Training and practice with ABS is critical.
Almost all clients were either “tentative” or “pumped”
the brakes. Further examination of instrumenting the car and the driving course
holds the potential to significantly reduce the cost of the program.
(5)
Ergonomics
Specifications and Design of a HMI for an Informational Safe Driving Support
System Laurent Nicolas (PSA Peugeot Citroën ¾ France)
This paper describes the first step in the
ergonomic design of an HMI for an informational safe driving support system.
The objective of the study was to establish initial settings for an alert and
to collect subjective evaluations of the HMI. In an on-road experiment, a panel
of drivers chose the settings they felt best corresponded to alerts for the
system. The variable alerts examined included an auditory alert, flashing
lights, flashing arrows, a vibrating steering wheel, and a vibrating seat. A
content analysis of driver interviews determined that participants evaluated
the HMI based on seven ergonomic criteria: attraction; alert level;
representation of nature of danger; incitement to act; comfort; and,
distinguishability. A second study will evaluate the global system, its
function, and remaining HMI.
Please note:
This paper will not be presented at the conference but will be included in the
final proceedings.
(6)
Effects
of Cellular Telephone Use While Driving Based on Objective and Subjective
Mental Workload Assessment Roberto Abraham Tokunaga,
Akihiro Shimojo (Civil Engineering Research Institute of Hokkaido I.A.I. ¾ Japan), Toru Hagiwara, Seiichi Kagaya, Ken-etsu Uchida (Hokkaido University ¾ Japan)
A series of studies were performed to investigate
the effects of cellular telephone use while driving on driver mental workload.
In these surveillance studies objective and subjective methods were used to
document the driver mental workload behaviour. In the first study, the results
indicated that the hands-free system had less effect on the driver’s
mental workload than the hand-held system. In the second study, experience in
using a cellular telephone while driving had no positive effect on reaction
time. The operation task and talking task had little effect on the subjective
mental workload of experienced subjects, but had statistically significant
effects on the subjective mental workload of the non-experienced subjects. In
the third study, as in the second, the results indicated that telephone tasks
increased the mental workload of drivers. The results also indicated that the
complex conversation task produced an increase in driver mental workload as
compared to the simple conversation task and the other tasks independent of age
group.
(7)
The
Trainer Project: Matching Training Curricula to Drivers’ Real Needs Using
Multimedia Tools
Daniel Herregods, Herve
Nowe (Driving Know-How, POLE ProMotions sprl ¾ Belgium), Angelos Bekiaris (Laboratory of Transport Engineering of
Aristotles University of Thessaloniki ¾ Greece), Guido Baten (CARA-Belgian Institute for Road Safety ¾ Belgium), Christian Knoll, Harald Widlroither (University of
Stuttgart ¾ Germany)
One of the more important issues in road insecurity
is that drivers are not conscious enough of all the dynamics involved in
driving a vehicle. Historically, driver training has focused on vehicle control
skills and traffic rules without working to provide risk awareness and other
higher order skills. The European Union-supported “TRAINER” project
addresses this problem with the development of a cost-effective, Pan-European
driver-training methodology based on realistic, interactive, off-road tools: a
new interactive multimedia training tool, and a low-cost stationary and
medium-cost semi-dynamic driving simulator. This paper describes the
interactive multimedia tool requirements and scenarios design to support driver
training and assessment in strategic and manoeuvring tasks. The more than 100
different scenarios developed allow training and assessment of higher cognitive
skills and familiarisation of novice drivers with the basic principles of
driving: safety belt use, alcohol driving influence, gap acceptance, headway
tailgating, peripheral view, yielding, lane changing, turning, unforeseen
events, hazard perception, overtaking manoeuvres, visual cues, parked cars,
intersection turning, pedestrians and children, and so on. After verification
of the methodology and assessment of the effect on risk-awareness enhancement
of learning drivers through tests with 30 novice drivers (and an equal control
group) in 4 European countries, the TRAINER tools will be integrated into a
common European driver education and assessment methodology that will
contribute to the safe integration of novice drivers into the traffic
environment.
(8)
The
Trainer Project: A New Simulator-Based Driver Training Curriculum Juan F. Dols, J. Pardo (Polytechnic University of Valencia ¾ Spain), T. Falkmer (Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute ¾ Sweden), E. Uneken (University of Groningen ¾ The Netherlands), W. Verwey (Institute for Occupational Physiology IFADO ¾ Germany)
The purpose of the EU-funded TRAINER project is to
develop a new, cost-effective, Pan-European driver-training curriculum,
including computer-based interactive multimedia and simulator technology. The
curriculum will pay significant attention to higher order skills including risk
awareness. For this purpose, a number of scenarios were developed that address
the most important needs of learner drivers. These scenarios are used in a
PC-based interactive multimedia tool, as well as in a driving simulator. The
interactive multimedia tool allows training and assessment of higher cognitive
skills (i.e., strategic and manoeuvring tasks), familiarisation with the basic
principles of driving, and a better understanding of (potential) risks. A
low-cost stationary driving simulator is used to teach skills in vehicle
handling and negotiating common traffic situations (i.e., manoeuvring and
control tasks). In addition, a medium-cost semi-dynamic driving simulator is
developed for supporting the needs of specific driver cohorts, such as novice
drivers with enhanced knowledge problems and drivers in high-risk groups.
Application of such an advanced computer-based curriculum also implies
development of criteria to allow driving instructors to determine training
progress. These criteria are based on a database of normative driver behaviour.
This paper mainly focuses on the description of the technical (soft- and
hardware) requirements for both low-cost and mean-cost simulators.
(9)
Relation
of Owner’s Manuals to Safety S. David Leonard (University of Georgia ¾ USA)
Safe behavior is predicated on the
individual’s capability to perform appropriate acts when required. That capability involves both the
requisite psychomotor skills and the knowledge of what acts are appropriate in
the given situation. Knowledge of
appropriate acts may be obtained in various ways. Signs, verbal commands,
instruction, and written materials are all means of conveying such
knowledge. The present study
examines the influence of one form of written material associated with safe
driving—the owner’s manual.
Specifically, two surveys were designed to evaluate drivers’ use
of the safety information in the manual and their awareness of the presence of
safety information in the manual.
The results suggested that owner’s manuals are infrequently read,
except for some specific sorts of information. Only two respondents in Experiment 1 indicated looking for
safety information in the manual. Experiment 2 suggested that while respondents
were aware of the possibility that safety information was in the manual, there
was little indication that the manual was used for that purpose. A possible approach to reaching more of
the target population might be to produce a separate safety manual for owners
and drivers.
(10) The Effect of Physical Changes in
Aging on Driving Performance Hideaki Nemoto, Takayuki Yanagishima, Mitsuru Taguchi (Nissan Motor Company,
Ltd. ¾
Japan)
The growing population of older drivers has led to
societal demands for the development of technologies better suited to the
characteristics of older people. One effective way to address this situation is
to examine closely the structure that causes the performance of older drivers
and to use that information to develop technologies. In this research, a first
step was made toward identifying significant elements of the structure from a
human factors standpoint. A questionnaire survey, an observation of driving
behavior, and an interview survey were conducted with older drivers.
Significant perspectives on driving were extracted from the results. Tests were
then conducted with a driving simulator to verify those perspectives. Based on
the surveys and tests, two significant characteristics were identified
concerning the influence of aging on driving behavior. One concerns the
disintegration of the stimulus-perception-cognition-response system and the
other concerns the transition in attention.
(11) Measures of Driver Behavior and
Cognitive Workload in a Driving Simulator and in a Real Traffic Environment -
Experiences from Two Experimental Studies in Sweden Ruggero Ceci (Swedish National Road Administration ¾ Sweden), Lennart Högman (Stockholm University ¾ Sweden), Christopher Patten (Swedish National Road Administration
¾
Sweden)
A general increase in the use of ITS (Intelligent
Transportation System) is increasing the external demands on driver attention
and cognitive functioning. In-vehicle systems such as navigation and onboard
PCs with Internet and e-mail connections are on the market in many parts of the
world. Two different studies are presented in this paper. The first focused
upon mental performance as a result of driving in a tunnel simulation with a
route choice task; the second looked at the effect of various in-vehicle
navigation tasks in a real traffic environment. Results indicate future
orientation and road choice problems. As much as 50% of test-drivers missed
important road sign information and made critical road choice errors at
specific points, i.e. entering the tunnel system from main roads. The second
study found significant effects for visual and visual/verbal instructions but
no significant effects for verbal instructions on mental performance. These
results are discussed with respect to requirements regarding suitable standard
methods for assessment of cognitive workload caused by external information
(i.e. road/tunnel environment) and from in-vehicle systems.
(12) The Effect of a Vehicle Control
Device on Driver Performance in a Simulated Tank Driving Task Ellen Haas (U.S. Army Research Laboratory ¾ USA), Micaela Kunze (Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung ¾ Germany)
The purpose of this study was to determine the
effect of different vehicle controllers on driver performance in a simulated
tank-driving task. Eight male
civilian volunteers with normal visual acuity drove a simulated tank on a digitized
road terrain. The subject
monitored his speed by means of a speedometer shown on the monitor. Independent variables were driving
controller (joystick, or steering wheel with attached brake and accelerator
pedal), and assigned driving speed of 15 or 45 mph (the maximum speed at which
the subject was permitted to travel).
Dependent variables were mean driving speed (the average speed at which
the subject actually drove), and the proportion of time the center of the
vehicle remained on the road during travel. Results indicated that subjects using the steering wheel
obtained a significantly greater mean driving speed than those using the
joystick. Only they were permitted to drive a maximum speed of 45 mph. This difference may have little
practical significance because the mean driving speed for the two controllers
differed by less than 5 mph. There
was no significant difference between controllers for the proportion of time
the driver was able to keep the center of the vehicle on the road. Results implied that the ergonomic
placement of the joystick could be an important factor in enhancing driver
performance, and that joystick controls have potential as an alternative
control technology.
(13) The Effects of Age and
Distraction on Reaction Time in a Driving Simulator Justin M. Owens, Richard Lehman (Franklin
& Marshall College ¾ USA)
The objective of this study was to investigate the
effects of driver distraction – both cognitive and visual – on
reaction time to unexpected road hazards. Participants operated a driving
simulator while intermittently answering prerecorded questions of various
difficulty (holding a “conversation” with the computer), or dialing
specified numbers into a cellular telephone. Two road hazards were presented at unpredictable times and
locations, including red brake lights and a red pedestrian-shape of
approximately the same area as the brake lights. Targets were presented in two different locations: directly in front of the driver at the
bottom of the screen, and off to the side of the road. The results showed a
significant overall increase in reaction time for older subjects, as well as a
strong interaction with the dialing task condition. There were no significant
differences from the control for either easy or difficult verbal response
conditions. In addition, stimuli
on the side of the road took significantly longer to respond to, especially
when combined with the dialing task.
These data suggest a strong link between age, visual task load, stimulus
location, and increased reaction time to unexpected stimuli.
(14) Bilingual Variable Message Signs:
A Study of Information Presentation and Driver Distraction Samantha L. Jamson, Fergus N. Tate, A. Hamish
Jamson (University of Leeds ¾ UK)
Research on static bilingual signs has confirmed
increased reading times compared to their monolingual counterparts; however
there is little empirical research on bilingual Variable Message Signs
(VMS). The study reported here
evaluates the effect of various bilingual VMS configurations on driver
behaviour and safety. The aim of the study was to determine whether or not the
visual distraction associated with bilingual VMS signs of different
configurations (length, complexity) impacted on driving performance. The
results suggest that four-line bilingual VMS signs comprising 2 lines of text
in each language are read by both monolingual and bilingual drivers in a manner
that more closely approximates a two-line monolingual sign. This being the case it is likely that
the deployment of four-line bilingual signs on Welsh motorways is unlikely to
result in a significant reduction in safety.
(15) Assessing and Predicting the
Impact of Cowlshake in Convertible Cars on Subjective Comfort Harald Kolrep (Kolrep-Rometsch, Human
Factors Consultants ¾ Germany)
Torsional oscillations of the car body of
convertible cars give rise to cowlshake of the wind-shield frame and the
rear-view mirror, the dashboard, steering wheel, and seats. Drivers can
perceive these oscillations which might impair subjective comfort and driving
safety. Intensity ranges from just noticeable movements up to annoying shake of
the steering wheel and distorted view in the mirror. A method to assess
drivers´ subjective comfort is suggested which allows one to determine a
functional relation between objective parameters of cowlshake and subjective
comfort. This study is a first step towards simulation of cowlshake that
includes prediction of comfort impairment.
(16) A Simulator Study of Driver
Response to Changeable Message Signs of Differing Length and Format José Guerrier (University of
Miami School of Medicine ¾ USA), Jerry Wachtel (The Veridian Group, Inc. ¾ USA)
Highway congestion nationwide continues to
increase, and three Florida urban areas rank among the top ten. Congestion
costs the State $3.5 billion annually in fuel and lost time, and is steadily
worsening. Florida has been studying and implementing ITS technologies to
address its congestion problems, with a focus on its special populations such
as the elderly and groups for which English is not the primary language. One of
the technologies most widely deployed is the changeable message sign (CMS).
Although CMS have the potential to facilitate travel, they may also exacerbate
congestion problems. Research has resulted in guidelines that address message
visibility, legibility and understandability. While these guidelines are
helpful in informing the use of CMS, sign operation varies widely across
jurisdictions, often without the basis of empirical support. Because successful
CMS operation depends, in part, on driver information processing speed and
linguistic ability, there is a need to evaluate CMS with Florida's special
populations. This study, funded by the National Institute on Aging, reports on
one key CMS operational issue —the number of phases required to present a
complete message. This study used a low-cost, interactive driving simulator
supplemented with a video monitor above the main display. Simulator screens
presented interactive road and traffic conditions, and the supplemental monitor
displayed the CMS. Young and old drivers drove the simulator and responded to
road closure/detour information on the CMS. All CMS displays were developed in
accordance with accepted guidelines and were reviewed for content by
independent experts. Results showed consistent and significant age effects
across all tested conditions. In addition, we found significantly poorer
response for all drivers under the two-phase (versus the one-phase) CMS despite
the fact that our message “on-time” was nearly 2 seconds longer
than that used in two major Florida jurisdictions. These findings have
implications for CMS design and operation in Florida and in other jurisdictions
with large elderly populations.
(17) Distraction Effects of Phone Use
During a Crucial Driving Maneuver
Peter Hancock
(University of Central Florida ¾ USA), Mary Lesch, Lucy Simmons (Liberty Mutual Research Center for Safety
and Health ¾ USA),
Mustapha Mouloua (University of Central Florida ¾ USA)
Forty-two licensed drivers were tested in an
experiment that required them to react to an in-vehicle phone at precisely the
same time as they were faced with making a crucial driving decision. Using test
track facilities, we extended a previous evaluation of this form to include
examination of the influence of driver gender and driver age. Specifically,
each driver was given task practice and then performed two blocks of
twenty-four trials each, where one trial represented a circuit of the test
track. Half of the trials were control conditions in which neither the
stop-light was activated nor the in-vehicle phone triggered. Four trials
required only stopping and a further four only phone response. The remaining
four trials required the driver to complete each task simultaneously. The order
of presentation of specific trials was randomized. The in-vehicle phone
response task also contained an embedded memory task that was evaluated at the
end of each trial. Results confirmed previous observations of slower task
response followed by increased braking and that these patterns varied by driver
age and gender. Most importantly, we recorded a critical 15% increase in
non-response to the stop light in the presence of the phone distraction task
which represents stop light violations on the open road. Further, results showed
that age had a much large effect on response than gender, especially on task
components that required speed of response. Since driving represents a highly
complex and interactive environment, it is not possible to specify a simplistic
relationship between these distraction effects and outcome accident patterns.
However, we can conclude that such technologies erode performance safety margin
and distract drivers from their critical primary task of vehicle control. As
such there is expectedly a causal relation in accident outcome that is a
crucial concern for in-vehicle device designers and for all others seeking to
ameliorate the adverse impact of vehicle accidents.
(18) Role of Monotonous Attention in
Traffic Violations, Errors, and Accidents Nebi Sümer, Belgin Ayvasik (Middle East Technical
University ¾ Turkey),
Nurhan Er (Ankara University ¾ Turkey), Türker Özkan (Middle East Technical University
¾
Turkey)
Recent traffic Law in Turkey requires that drivers
whose driving licenses were withheld because of their serious traffic offences
be subjected to “psychotechnical assessment” tests. These tests
must include measures for psychomotor and mental abilities such as monotonous
attention, peripheral perception, and reasoning. Currently, we are in the
process of developing a computer-based psychotechnical driver test system. This
study investigates the validity of the monotonous attention test that is one of
the measures in our system.
Participants were 79 volunteer drivers from Ankara, Turkey. Drivers
first completed the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) measuring violations
and errors and demographic items regarding drivers’ history of offences
and accidents. Participants then were asked to respond to the Traffic
Monotonous Attention Test, which is a cancellation task. Initial analysis
revealed that the correlations between the scores of the attention index and
other major variables were not significant. Therefore, a tripartite split was
performed on the participants’ attention scores. The results of ANOVAs
revealed that those who had a medium level of attention (incorrect responses)
reported higher levels of driving errors than either the high or low attention
groups. An examination of the relationships between accident type and the
continuous attention scores indicated that those having active accidents also
had higher levels of both incorrect and omitted responses than those in the
no-accident and passive-accident groups. Findings of this study seem to imply
that individual differences in the monotonous attention index should be
correlated with accident involvement. They should also therefore be considered
in devising a computer-based system.
(19) Effects of a Speed-of-Processing
Intervention on Driving Performance: The ACCELERATE Study Karlene Ball, David Ball, Meredith Rumble,
David Edwards, Virginia Wadley (University of Alabama at Birmingham ¾ USA)
Useful Field of View performance, as measured by
UFOVÒ,
is a valid and reliable predictor of crash involvement among older drivers, and
UFOVÒ
performance improves with Speed of Processing (SOP) training. The ACCELERATE Study is examining the
effects of SOP training on other cognitive functions and on everyday mobility
among older adults at risk for impaired mobility. To date, 59 participants have
been randomly assigned to SOP training and 59 to an Internet training control
group (total n = 118). At baseline
and post-test, participants are given extensive cognitive, sensory, health, and
mobility assessments, as well as driving assessments in either a driving
simulator or an instrumented vehicle. Preliminary results indicate that performance on the UFOVÒ
improves significantly
more in the SOP training group than in the control group. Furthermore, means on most other
cognitive variables are in the direction of greater improvement for SOP
trainees than controls, with significant transfer of training on select speeded
measures. Preliminary analyses of
driving indicate that relative to controls, SOP trainees have improved in the
speed with which they are able to detect moving targets originating in the
periphery and moving toward central vision, but not in the detection of static
targets originating in central view.
Thus, some driving tasks appear to benefit from SOP training, while
others do not. Results suggest that Speed of Processing training may transfer
to other cognitive functions as well as to everyday mobility performance, such
as driving.
(20) Visual Attention and Roadway
Landmark Identification in At-Risk Older Drivers, Amy Crowe, Tara Smyser, Mireille
Raby, Kirk Bateman, Matthew Rizzo (University of Iowa ¾ USA)
The purpose of the current study was to examine the
extent to which on-road landmark identification during the driving task is
predicted by off-road measures of visual attention. Thirty drivers, ages 66-92 enrolled in a larger ongoing
study of at-risk older drivers. All subjects participated in a battery of tests
of visual and cognitive ability. Speed of visual processing, divided attention
and selective attention were measured using the Visual Attention Analyzer,
3000. They also took part in an on-road drive that tested their performance on
several attention-related tasks. One of these tasks, a landmark identification
task, was developed to evaluate driver perception and attention to relevant
stimuli along the roadway. This task required drivers to identify restaurants
(N=10) and safety-related signs (N=7-9) while driving an experimental vehicle
along a commercial segment of a four-lane divided state highway. Performance on
the landmark identification task was scored in terms of percent correct.
Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated between the attention scores
and the percent of correct scores on the Landmark Recognition task. Results:
The 30 drivers generally showed impaired performances on tasks of visual
processing speed divided attention speed and selective attention with
identification of a foveal target and with same/different foveal
discrimination. Results showed 76.35 % identification for safety signs and 40.3
% correct performance for restaurant identification. A selective attention
subtest showed a significant correlation (p=0.032) with performance on the
restaurant portion of the landmark identification task, yet, surprisingly,
other relationships were not significant. Conclusions: This study shows
that scores on a test of selective visual attention task correlated with
ability to identify landmarks (restaurants) on a commercial highway, yet visual
processing speed and divided attention showed no significant correlation.
Moreover, ability to identify safety signs did not correlate with any of the
visual measures. Several factors may have affected the percentage of landmarks
(signs and restaurants) identified. One factor is the variability of ambient
traffic, which causes a variation of driver workload, which in turn affects the
ability to search the roadway for visual targets. Also some drivers tended to
call out indiscriminately every landmark they encountered, which would tend to
increase their percent correct responses. In future analyses we will apply the
theory of signal detection to address this response bias.
(21) Virtual Truck Driver Training and
Validation: Preliminary Results for Range and Skid Pad Gerard Meyer, Renee Slick, Daniel
Westra, Nicolas Noblot, Lois-Ann Kuntz (Carnegie Mellon Driver Training and
Safety Institute ¾ USA)
This poster presentation will describe preliminary
work done at the Carnegie Mellon Driver Training and Safety Institute (CM-DTSI)
to test the validity of truck driver simulator training for backing maneuvers, and
the digitalization of a skid pad. Preliminary results supported the validity of
simulator training for straight-line and reverse-lane-change backing skills.
Results for the skid pad work indicated that stopping distances during hard
braking on the virtual skid pad were somewhat shorter than on the physical skid
pad at the same initial speed. The shorter stopping distance in the simulator
was the result of the functional limit of 0.2 surface coefficient of friction
in the simulation dynamic model. A virtual skid pad with a slope of 9% was
created to test the effect of slope on braking distance. Results showed that
stopping distances in the simulator increased as a result of increasing the
slope, indicating that the functional limit of the dynamic model can be
overcome by varying the virtual slope.
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© 2001 University of Iowa Public Policy Center. All rights reserved.