ERGONOMICS AND MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY. STATE-OF-THE-ART

THE USE OF ERGONOMICS IN THE DESIGN OF VEHICULAR EQUIPMENT IS PRESENTED. IT IS PROPOSED THAT THE WIDER USE OF THE PRINCIPLES AND METHODS OF THIS DISCIPLINE MIGHT AID IN THE MORE EFFECTIVE INTEGRATION OF THE DRIVER AND HIS EQUIPMENT. IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ANY MAN-MACHINE SYSTEM DEPENDS UPON THE INTEGRATION OF THE BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OPERATOR WITH THE MECHANICAL DESIGN OF THE EQUIPMENT AND WORKING AREAS. THE INITIAL PHASE OF A PROGRAM IN ERGONOMICS, SHOULD ALWAYS CONSIST OF AN ADVANCE ANALYSIS OF THE EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING A SURVEY OF THE NATURE OF THE TASK, THE WORK SURROUNDINGS, THE LOCATION OF CONTROLS AND INSTRUMENTS, AND THE WAY THE OPERATOR PERFORMS HIS DUTIES. THE BASIC DATA NEEDED INCLUDE THOSE WHICH DESCRIBE THE RANGE OF HUMAN BODY SIZE AT REST AND IN MOTION; BIO-MECHANICAL ABILITIES INCLUDING RANGE, STRENGTH, SPEED, AND ACCURACY OF MOTION; SENSORY ABILITIES; AND HUMAN REACTIONS TO THE PHYSICAL VARIABLES OF THE ENVIRONMENT. ONLY BY THE APPLICATION OF THESE KINDS OF DATA TO THE DESIGN OF THE WORKSPACE, CONTROLS, INSTRUMENTS, AND ENVIRONMENT, CAN THE OWNER BE ASSURED OF MAXIMUM COMFORT, EFFICIENCY, AND SAFETY. IN HIGHWAY SAFETY THE APPLICATION OF HUMAN ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE IN THE DESIGN OF WINDSHIELDS, REAR VIEW MIRRORS, AND VEHICLE LIGHTING AND OTHER VISUAL AIDS TO THE DRIVERS. THE FIELD OF CRASH INJURY RESEARCH IS PROVING TO BE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN UNDERSTANDING THE PARTS OF THE VEHICLE MOST LIKELY TO GIVE RISE TO INJURY. CURRENT RESEARCH IS TENDING TO GIVE MORE PRECISE MEASUREMENTS NOT ONLY IN REGARD TO THE FORCES INVOLVED, BUT ALSO TO THE THRESHOLDS AND PATTERNS OF INJURY. THE VARIOUS RESEARCH PROGRAMS IN THE FIELD OF ERGONOMICS AS RELATED TO HIGHWAY SAFETY IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD HAVE GREATLY INCREASED IN RECENT YEARS. IN CONCLUSION IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERS ARE IN AN UNUSUALLY FAVORABLE POSITION TO ASSIST IN IMPROVING THE ACCIDENT RATES IN INDUSTRY AND IN VARIOUS FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION INCLUDING HIGHWAY SAFETY. /SRIS/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • pp 133-152, 7 FIG, 113 REFS
• Corporate Authors:

  Intl Auto Sfty Conf Compendium

  ,    
• Authors:
  • McFarland, R A
  • Moore, R C
• Publication Date: 1970

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash injury research; Crash rates; Design; Driver improvement programs; Driver performance; Drivers; Environmental impacts; Equipment; Ergonomics; Highway safety; Human factors; Human factors engineering; Human factors engineering; Living things; Mechanical properties; Mirrors; Motor vehicles; Personnel performance; Rearview mirrors; Traffic crashes; Vehicle lighting; Windshields
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver improvement
• Old TRIS Terms: Biological factors; Body; Rear view
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221056
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 18 1971 12:00AM