THE DETERMINANTS OF DRIVER PASSING ON RURAL TWO-LANE HIGHWAYS (TWO VOLUMES)

TWO EXPERIMENTS WERE CONDUCTED UNDER ACTUAL HIGHWAY DRIVING CONDITIONS TO DETERMINE THE SINGULAR AND COMBINED EFFECTS OF SPEED IMPEDANCE, DISTANCE IMPEDANCE, LEAD VEHICLE SPEED, AND TRAFFIC VOLUME UPON THE ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF PASSING OPPORTUNITIES WHERE SIGHT DISTANCE IS RESTRICTED BY HIGHWAY GEOMETRY. SUBJECT DRIVERS, UNAWARE THAT THEY WERE PART OF AN EXPERIMENT, WERE IMPEDED OVER VARYING DISTANCES AND SPEEDS BY AN INSTRUMENTED VAN. RESPONSE MEASURES INCLUDED PASS/NO PASS, AND TIME AND DISTANCE PERFORMANCE FOR THREE ASPECTS OF THE PASSING MANEUVER: JUDGEMENT, PASSING, AND RESERVE TO THE END OF SIGHT DISTANCE. SIGHT DISTANCE AND IMPEDANCE SPEED EXERTED THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF INFLUENCE UPON THE PROBABILITY OF A PASS. IMPEDANCE DISTANCE AND SPEED PRODUCED A BEHAVIORAL PREDISPOSITION TO PASS, BUT DID NOT AFFECT PASSING PERFORMANCE IN ANY CONSISTENT MANNER. LEAD VEHICLE SPEED DID NOT INFLUENCE THE DECISION TO PASS COMMENSURATE WITH THE EFFECT IT PRODUCED ON THE WAY THE PASS WAS EXECUTED, AND THE LACK OF AN INTERACTION BETWEEN LEAD VEHICLE SPEED AND SPEED IMPEDANCE INDICATES THAT THE DEGREE OF IMPEDANCE (PROPORTIONATE REDUCTION FROM DESIRED SPEED) IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ABSOLUTE SPEED IN DETERMINATION OF A PASS. THE RESULTS ARE COMPARED WITH THOSE OF OTHER INVESTIGATORS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR HIGHWAY DESIGN AND TRAFFIC OPERATION ARE DISCUSSED. THE GENERAL RESULTS SUPPORT THE NEED FOR DRIVER REMEDIAL AID SYSTEMS FOR PASSING MANEUVERS ON RURAL TWO-LANE HIGHWAYS. THE PASSING AID SYSTEM (PAS II), AN AUTOMATED DRIVER INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGNED TO PERMIT PASSING WHERE SIGHT DISTANCE IS LIMITED, IS DESCRIBED AND ANALYZED WITH RESPECT TO THE SYSTEM/DRIVER INTERFACE. HUMAN FACTORS STUDY EFFORTS WERE PERFORMED IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: INGRESS/EGRESS SYSTEM, EXTRA-VEHICULAR DISPLAYS AND INTRAVEHICULAR DISPLAYS. /AUTHOR/

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • N/a, Cpr-11-4092
  • Corporate Authors:

    HRB-Singer Incorporated

    P.O. Box 60, Science Park
    State College, PA  United States  16801

    Bureau of Public Roads /US

    400 7th Street, SW
    Washington, DC  United States  20590
  • Authors:
    • Hostetter, R S
    • King, R B
    • Seguin, E L
  • Publication Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00222594
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jul 14 1970 12:00AM