FIELD STUDY OF DRIVER'S CURVE-DETECTION PERFORMANCE IN DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME

Effects of road scenes and traffic-control devices on driver's curve-detection performance were investigated. Field experiments were conducted on a 19-km section of highway running through a hilly area in Hokkaido, Japan. The driver obtained directional information from the road scene ahead and traffic-control devices at the beginning of the target curve. Road scene characteristics were determined subjectively. Configurations of traffic-control devices at 32 curves were obtained from the road maintenance database and were measured on site for each curve. Each of the 17 participating subjects drove an instrument-equipped vehicle and pressed a button as soon as he or she recognized the direction of the target curve. Detection distance of each curve was measured. The experimenter determined the maximum detection distance (MDD) of each target curve. A curve-detection index, defined as the detection distance divided by the MDD, was used to compare detection performance for each curve. Characteristics of detection performance for the curves were determined by a cluster analysis and regression analysis. Curves were classified into five groups according to the results of the cluster analysis. Results of the within-subject regression analysis revealed that subjects driving in the daytime obtained directional information about the curve from the road scene, whereas in the nighttime the lighting midway through the curve had a greater effect on detection performance. Results indicate that visual cues should be considered when traffic-control devices are installed at a curve, and appropriate traffic-control devices should be selected to increase the detection performance of a curve.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: Figures; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: p. 75-85
  • Serial:

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00824564
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 0309072379
  • Files: TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: Feb 12 2002 12:00AM