A COMPARISON OF YOUNG DRIVERS AND OLDER DRIVERS ON BRAKE RESPONSE AND ACCELERATOR RELEASE TIMES UNDER DISTRACTING CONDITIONS

THE PROBLEM WAS TO COMPARE THE ACCELERATOR RELEASE AND THE BRAKE RESPONSE TIMES OF YOUNG DRIVERS AND OLDER DRIVERS ON SIX HAND AND FOOT BRAKING METHODS UNDER TWO EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS USING A COMPLEX STIMULUS. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON 48 SUBJECTS WHICH INCLUDED 12 MALE AND 12 FE- MALE DRIVERS IN THE YOUNG AGE GROUP (20-30) AND 12 MALE AND 12 FEMALE DRIVERS IN THE OLDER AGE GROUP (45-65). SCORES FOR ACCELERATOR RELEASE AND BRAKE RESPONSE TIMES WERE OBTAINED FROM THE CONTROLS SYSTEM AND RECORDED BY AN EXAMINER. THE YOUNGER DRIVERS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER BRAKE RESPONSE AND ACCELERATOR RELEASE TIME THAN THE OLDER DRIVERS. THE MALES HAD A SIGNIFICANLTY FASTER BRAKE RESPONSE TIME THAN THE FEMALES OF BOTH THE YOUNGER AND OLDER AGE GROUPS. THE ACCELERATOR RELEASE TIMES FOR THE LEFT FOOT BRAKING METHOD WERE SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWER THAN RIGHT FOOT BRAKING FROM THE ACCELERATOR TO THE POWER BRAKE, HOWEVER, THERE ARE DIFFERENT VARIATIONS IN BRAKE RESPONSE TIME AMONG THE DIFFERENT METHODS OF BRAKING. THE MOST COMMON METHOD OF RIGHT FOOT BRAKING FROM THE ACCELERATOR WAS THE SLOWEST METHOD OF ALL. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND IN ACCELERATOR RELEASE TIME.

• Corporate Authors:

  NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL

  CHICAGO, IL  United States 
• Authors:
  • Karabin, V B
• Publication Date: 1967-10

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 98 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accelerating agents; Age; Braking; Driver performance; Drivers; Personnel performance; Reaction time
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver reaction
• Old TRIS Terms: Accelerating (Process)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224488
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 16 1974 12:00AM